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The Movie Boys 
Under Uncle Sam 


Taking Pictures for the Army 


BY 


VICTOR APPLETON 


Author of “The Movie Boys in the Jungle,’ “The 
Movie Boys Under Fire,” “The Movie 
Boys and the Flood,” ete. 





GarRDEN CITY New York 
GARDEN CITY PUBLISHING COMPANY, Inc. 
1926 


THE FAMOUS MOVIE BOYS. 
SERIES 


BY 
VICTOR APPLETON 







See back of book for list of titles 





COPYRIGHT, 1919, 1926, BY 
GARDEN CITY PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC. 
5 


THE MOVIE BOYS 
UNDER UNCLE SAM 


CHAPTER I 
DANGEROUS WORK 


“Tus sure is hot work!” exclaimed Blake Stew- 
art, as he rose to his feet and brushed off his clothes. 
“That's what,” agreed his friend and partner, Joe 
Dunean, who likewise had thrown himself to the 
ground when a shell had landed and burst within a 
few yards of him. “I’ve barked my shins so often 
that I’ll have a case of housemaid’s knee if this 
keeps up.” 

“My eardrums got a dose when that last shell ex- 
ploded,” remarked their lanky understudy and as- 
sistant, Charlie Anderson. “But we're still alive 
and kicking and that’s something.” 

“Especially kicking,” grinned Blake, as he turned 
once more to the faithful camera with which the 
group were taking moving pictures of a German 
bombardment. “Lucky that some of that shrapnel 


didn’t smash this.” 
I 


2 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


“Tt might be good dope to get into a little safer 
position,” suggested Joe. ‘Those Huns are switch- 
ing their fire over this way, and we’ve had more 
shells drop around here in the last five minutes than 
we had before all the morning. Let’s shift to that 
shell hole over to the left.” 

Blake cast an eye in the direction indicated. | 

“It might be a little safer,’ he admitted, “but I’m 
afraid that part of the action would be shut off by 
that clump of trees. Better stick it out here a little 
while longer. We haven’t had such a chance for a 
long time and I hate to lose it.” 

“All right,’ agreed Joe cheerfully, for, like his 
partner, he was game, and would have gone through 
fire and water to get a good picture. 

“A fellow ought to have as many lives as a cat 
when he sets out to do this kind of work,” grumbled 
Charlie. 

“Quit your grouching,” laughed Blake. “You 
know you wouldn’t miss this for a farm. Think of 
the sensation this picture will make when it’s shown. 
Seme day you'll be sitting in a darkened theater 
seeing this thing unreeled, and you'll pat yourself 
on the back and say proudly: ‘I helped to take 
that picture.’ ” | 

“Maybe,” assented Charlie grudgingly. “And them 
again when these are shown, I may be lying in a nice 
little box six feet under ground.” 


DANGEROUS WORK 3 


“Well, you'll be over all your troubles then,” 
Blake was beginning to say, when Joe Duncan in- 
terrupted. 

“Look at that!’ he cried excitedly. “I could see 
the shell leaving the gun that time!” 

“Easy there,’ returned Blake. “Your eyesight 
isn’t quite as good as all that, Joe. What you saw 
was the bunch of wadding that followed the shell. 
The film got it anyway, and it looks enough like a 
shell to make most people believe it is one. But 
we'll put the right caption on it, for there isn’t go- 
ing to be any fake in this series of films. It’s going 
to be the real thing.” 

“Right you are,” agreed Joe. “We sure don’t 
need any faking in pictures like these. All the reels 
have to do is to tell the story just as it is, and they'll 
make a tremendous hit.” 

It was a hot day in early September, and the posi- 
tion of the sun indicated that it was almost noon. 
Ordinarily the boys would have had some shelter 
from the fierce rays that beat down upon them, for 
they were standing just within the edge of what 
nature had meant to be a forest, and at this early 
stage of autumn the trees would have been in full 
foliage. 

But it was a forest no longer. Shot and shell 
had ploughed through it until every vestige of twig 
and leaf had been torn away. Even the bark had 


4 . PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


been stripped from the trunks, and the trees stood 
there in ghastly whiteness, like so many ghosts 
watching over a valley of the dead. 

And there were plenty of dead to watch over, for 
all that morning there had been fierce fighting and 
the ground was thickly covered with motionless 
figures. | 

The American forces for some days past had been 
in hot pursuit of the Germans, who were making 
their way back to the Rhine. But that day the 
enemy had made a stand and put up a bitter 
resistance. They had taken up their position 
at the top of a hill, and there they had planted 
their artillery, which all the morning had been 
searching the American lines in a tremendous can- 
nonade. 

The Yankee guns had replied with a fire equally 
intense, and it was this spirited artillery duel that 
the young moving-picture operators had been fixing 
on their films. 

Suddenly there was a lull in the action and the 
boys looked at each other inquiringly. 

“Seems to be a slowing down,’ commented Joe. 

“And about time,’ grunted Charlie. “I didn’t 
know there were as many shells in the world as 
they’ve been firing this morning.” 

“Tt isn’t because they’re out of ammunition, you 
can bet,”’ remarked Blake. “Not. on our side, any- 


DANGEROUS WORK fn 


way. Trust Uncle Sam to keep his boys well sup- 
plied. We do things in millions in this war.” 

“Right you are in that!” ejaculated Charlie An- 
derson vehemently. 

“Perhaps they've slowed down to cool off the 
guns,” suggested Joe. 

“I should think they’d be red hot by this time,” 
Charlie observed. “And maybe those gunners 
aren't doing some sweating! They’re stripped to 
the waist.” 

“T think the real reason is that there’s something 
else in the wind,” said Blake. “Perhaps our boys 
are going to charge. They may figure out that by 
this time the artillery fire has beaten down the 
enemy's wires so that our men can go up and clean 
out the trenches.” 

“Good guess, old man!” cried Joe, as a long file 
of khaki-clad soldiers emerged from the American 
lines and started up the hill. “There they go now. 
Great! Bully boys! Oh, how I wish I were with 
them !” 

“Now the guns are opening up again!” exclaimed 
Blake. “They’re laying down a barrage in front 
of the boys.” 

It was a sight that might well have stirred the 
pulse of anyone not dead to all emotion. Up the 
hill, wave upon wave, went the American boys, over 
the shell-ploughed ground, clambering over 


6 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


the trunks of fallen trees, skirting the edge 
of open craters, sometimes stumbling, but al- 
ways advancing. Before them went a wall of fire 
laid down by their own gunners to screen their 
advance. | 

But now the enemy’s guns opened up again 
with redoubled fury. Lanes were made in the 
charging lines.. Men threw up their hands and fell 
until the ground was dotted with crumpled figures. 
Their places were taken at once by others, and the 
long lines went on and on until they burst like a 
storm upon the enemy’s trenches at the crest of the 
hill. 

Then there was fighting such as the boys had 
not yet seen in the war. The Germans, forced from 
their trenches, came out into the open in swarms, 
and their gray uniforms mingled in a terrific strug- 
gle with the khaki of the American troops. The — 
guns stopped, as each side was afraid of firing into 
its own men. It became a fierce, hand-to-hand con- 
test. 

There was little rifle fire also, for the men had 
resorted to the bayonet, jabbing, hacking, stabbing, 
at times using the gun butt as well as the point. 
Against the sky line on the ridge the view from be- 
low was perfect, and the boys were fairly dancing 
with excitement as the film clicked off the story of 
the fight. 


DANGEROUS WORK 7 


“Our fellows will win!’ cried Blake. “The 
Huns can’t stand before our bayonets. When it 
comes to hand-to-hand fighting it’s all over with 
Fritz.” 

“That's right,” agreed Joe. ‘“‘There’s no one 
in the world that can stand before our boys at close 
quarters.” 

“The Boches are bringing up reinforcements 
though,” said Charlie anxiously. ‘‘Look at’ that 
bunch in gray coming down on their flank.” 

“But there goes a new wave of our fellows up 
the hill,” put in Joe excitedly. ‘They'll even it up 
all right.” 

It was not to be an easy victory, however, for 
the Germans fought with the fury of desperation. 
It was a critical point in their line of defence, and 
they had been ordered to hold it at any cost. Crack 
troops that had been held in reserve were hurried 
up to meet the American onslaught. But the Yan- 
kee boys’ blood was up and they were not to be 
denied. 

For half an hour the fight continued, and then a 
rousing cheer ran along the American lines. The 
ridge was taken, the trenches were cleared, and the 
beaten enemy had fallen back to his second line of 
defense. | 

“Hurrah!” yelled Blake wildly. “I knew they'd 
do it.” 


8 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


“They’re the stuff!’ shouted Joe. “Oh, boy, how 
they did put it over them!” 

“And these are the greenhorns they said were 
going to break and run as soon as they caught sight 
of a Prussian uniform,” exulted Charlie. 

“They run all right,” grinned Blake, “but you'll 
notice they run toward the Huns instead of away 
from them. It’s Fritz who’s getting exercise in 
running toward the Rhine.” 


‘We hear a lot of German arms, 
But, oh, those German legs!” 


chanted Joe. 

“There go the guns again!’ exclaimed Blake. 

Now that the hand-to-hand fighting was over, the - 
German artillery had again opened up, and a perfect 
hail of shot and shell tore over the ridge that the 
Americans had captured and down the slope into 
the further lines. 

“Look there!’ exclaimed Joe suddenly, as he 
pointed to a spot half-way up the hill. 

The others looked in the direction he indicated 
and saw a wounded soldier trying to crawl back to- 
ward them. 

“Poor fellow,” broke out Charlie sympathetically. 
“He seems to be pretty badly hurt, and the shells 
are falling all around him. But the ambulances will 
be along pretty soon.” 


DANGEROUS WORK 9 


“Ambulances nothing!” cried Blake. ‘Charlie, 
you stay here and take care of this film. I’m going 
out to bring that fellow in. What do you say, Joe? 
Are you game?” 

“Am 1?” replied Joe. “That’s my middle name. 
I’m with you, old man. Come along.” 

A moment later, with their blood on fire, the 
chums were on their way up that hill of death. 


CHAPTER If 
TO THE RESCUE 


It was a perilous adventure on which the moy-. 
ing-picture boys had entered. | 

The German fire had increased in intensity, and 
now was sweeping the woods with a perfect hail 
of destruction. Great shells were exploding with 
thunderous roars, digging deep craters in the ground 
and sending their missiles of death far and wide. 

The boys knew that they were taking their lives 
in their hands by venturing over that ground, but 
the appeal made to them by that wounded figure 
was too strong for them to resist. 

Moving swiftly, yet taking advantage of every 
shattered stump and protecting rock as they ad- 
vanced, they soon reached the injured soldier. 

He saw them coming, and his face lighted up with 
gratitude as he attempted to smile. 

“Go back!” he gasped. “I guess they've done for 
me, but what’s the use of you boys getting killed?” 

“That’s all right, old fellow,’ answered Blake, 


10 


SO THE RESCUE II 


as he deftly slipped his arms around the man’s 
shoulders. “Here, Joe, you take his feet and we'll 
try to get him into that nearest shell hole. We can 
give him first aid there, and every minute counts.” 

Joe did as his comrade directed, and they hurried 

the man to a deep crater a little way down the hill. 
The shell that made it had heaped up the dirt in 
the direction of the enemy, so that the edge over- 
hung and formed something like a shallow cave. 
. Under this projecting edge they laid their bur- 
den. There they were comparatively safe unless a 
shell should chance to drop right into the hole it- 
self. 

Blake quickly got out the surgical kit he always 
carried and brought forth a roll of bandage. Joe, 
in the meantime, had been going over the wounded 
man with his hands to see how badly he was hurt. 
A bullet had ploughed through his scalp and blood 
had flowed freely from the gash, but the boys, who 
in their various adventures had become fairly ex- 
pert, recognized that this was not a serious injury. 
It was only when Joe felt the man’s left leg that he 
detected at once that it was broken. 

“That’s where the Huns got me,” groaned the 
sufferer. “I guess I’ll go on one leg now for the 
Yest of my life.” 

“Nothing like that,’ said Blake cheerfully, for 
to him it seemed like a simple fracture. “You'll be 


12 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


trotting around as well as ever in six weeks from 
now. Hand me some of those pistes of wood over 
there, Joe, and we'll make a splint.” 

The bottom of the shell hole was covered ae 
twigs and branches which had been torn from the 
near-by trees by the bombardment, and they soon 
improvised a rough splint, creditable enough for 
amateurs, that held the broken bone in place. The 
man’s face went white during the operation. 

Blake unstrapped his water bottle and. washed 
out the ragged wound in the scalp. Then he bound — 
it up with a surgical bandage. 

“There you are,’ he said briskly, when his task 
was finished and they had placed the patient in as 
comfortable a position as the narrow limits of the 
space permitted. “Now, just as soon as the ambu- 
lance comes down the line, we'll get you off to ae 
hospital and they’ll finish the job.” 

“It must have been mighty tough, dragging that 
broken leg along,’ said Joe sympathetically. 

“It wasn’t any fun,” agreed the soldier. “It was 
all-fired good of you fellows to come after me. An- 
other shell would likely have got me by this time 
if you hadn’t. But you boys were taking an awful 
chance. What regiment do you belong to?” 

“We just don’t belong,” replied Blake with a 
smile. “We're doing special work for the War De- 
partment in taking moving pictures of the fighting. 


TO THE RESCUE 13 


' My friend here is named Joe Duncan. My name 
is Blake Stewart.” 

“And mine is Tom Wentworth,” said _ the 
wounded man. “So you're the moving-picture 
boys,’ he continued, his eyes brightening with in- 
terest. “I’ve heard about you from some of the 
others. They said you were as plucky as they make 
’em, and I’ve found out that’s true.” 

“Oh, everybody here is taking risks,” said Blake 
modestly. “Look at yourself, for instance. You 
got closer to the line of fire than we did.” 

“Tt was pretty hot,” admitted Wentworth, “‘but 
I don’t know that it was any worse than it was at 
» Belleau Wood and Chateau-Thierry.” 5 

“Were you there?” asked Joe eagerly, for he al- 
ways felt a special thrill when he heard the names 
of those places where the American troops had cov- 
ered themselves with glory. 

“Very much there,” replied Wentworth with a 
faint smile. ‘So much there that I thought Pd 
always stay there, under the ground if not on top 
of it.” 

“That was some scrap!” exclaimed Blake en- 
thusiastically. “Two green American regiments 
fighting six crack Prussian divisions and putting it 
all over them.” 

“Tt was lively work,” grinned Wentworth. “TI 
remember when we first went in. We met the 


14 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


French coming back and their officers told ours that 
orders had been given to retreat. ‘Go back,’ they 
said, ‘the enemy’s too strong.’ Our old colonel 
looked at them. ‘Go back?’ he blurted out. ‘Thun- 
der! We've just got here.’ ” 

The boys laughed. 

That's real American talk,” chuckled Blake. 

“American as she is spoke,” added Joe. 

“You must have got some mighty good pictures 
this morning,’ went on Wentworth with interest, 
though a twinge in his broken leg contorted his fea- 
tures as he spoke. 

“You bet we did,’ answered Blake enthusiastic- 
ally. “Wasn't it great the way that bunch of dough- 
boys went up the hill? Say, we'll have the people 
holding on to the arms of their seats when they see 
that film in the States.” 

“T knew the boys would take that crest if they 
could only get to the top before the shells swept 
them away,’ said Wentworth. ‘When it comes to 
hack and stab, the Heinies aren’t in it with our 
boys. The cold steel makes them squeal. They’re 
all right in a crowd, but we've got their goat when 
it's man to man.” 

The shelling had died down somewhat whtie 
they were talking, and Joe, who had thrust his head 
cautiously above the edge of the crater, gave a 
sudden exclamation. 


TO THE RESCUE Is 


“Hullo!” he cried. “The whole regiment’s on the 
move! They’re swarming out of the trenches like 
bees out of a hive. They must have ordered a gen- 
eral advance.” 

“We mustn’t miss that!” exclaimed Blake. 
“We've got to go along with them. But first we'll 
have to see that this man gets to the hospital.” 

“Don’t bother about me,” said the wounded sol- 
dier. “You've done plenty for me as it is. Our 
ambulances will be along soon and pick me up. 
You boys just go along.” 

“Not on your life, we won’t,” replied Blake. 
“The pictures can wait.” 

“Here come some stretcher-bearers now,” ob- 
served Joe. 

He jumped out of the hole, waving his hands to 
attract attention. A group of men with er came 
hurriedly toward him. 

“Tend a hand here, fellows!’ cried Joe. ‘We've 
got one of the boys here with a messed-up head 
and a broken leg.” 

It was but the work of a moment for willing 
hands to lift Tom Wentworth out of the hole and 
arrange him comfortably. 

“T’ll never forget the way you boys risked your 
life to save mine,” he said gratefully, as the men 
grasped the handles of the stretcher and prepared 
to start off with him. 


16 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


“Nothing at all, old man,” answered Blake heart- 
ily. 

“All in the day’s work,” smiled Joe. 

‘And now for a quick sneak back to the camera,” 
Blake remarked, when the bearers with their bur- 
den had gone. “I hope that Charlie has been right 
on the job. It'll be too bad if he’s missed any of 
this fighting.” 

“Let’s hope a bullet hasn’t keeled him over while 
we've been away,” said Joe with some anxiety. 

“Nothing like that,” answered Blake, as his quick 
eye caught sight of their assistant. 

“But he’s turning the crank with his left hand,” 
cried Joe in alarm. “I wonder if amything could 
have happened to his right.” 

They broke into a run. 

Charlie saw them coming and a ook of relief 
came into his eyes. 3 

“So you're back again safe and EN ) he cried. 
“T was afraid that perhaps a shell had dropped into 
the hole and knocked you out.” 

“We're all right,” ejaculated Joe. “But how 
about yourself? Why are yen working left-handed : p 
‘Did you get hurt?” 

For answer, Charlie held up his right hand that 
was smeared with blood. f 

“Only a scratch,” he said. ‘A bullet grazed the 
back of my hand. Didn’t break any bones, but I 


TO THE RESCUE 17 


bled like a stuck pig. Didn’t have time to bind it 
up or I’d have missed some of the picture, so I just 
_ kept plugging along with the good old left.” 
“Give me the crank,” commanded Blake, at the 
same time taking it from his associate. ‘Joe, bind 
that hand up for him. Your nerve is all right, Char- 
lie, but I’d rather lose the picture than have you 
neglect yourself. How about it, Joe? Is it a bad 
wound 2?” 

“No, I guess not,” replied Joe, as he fixed a ban- 
dage around the injured hand while Charlie invol- 
untarily winced. “But it must hurt a lot. Charlie 
will have to be a southpaw for a while, but that’s 
all?’ 

“Tm mighty glad it’s no worse,” said Blake in a 
tone of relief. “I’d have felt partly responsible if it 
were, since I skipped the job and left it to Charlie.” 

“Say, it was the best thing you ever did,” broke 
in Charlie enthusiastically. “I caught the whole ac- 
tion while you were making your way toward that 
fellow and believe me it’s some sweet film. It'll 
make the chills go up and down the people’s spines 
when they get a squint at it.’ 

“Well, now let’s be hiking along,” remarked 
Blake, as Joe completed his work. “The regiment’s 
on the move and all the rest of the fighting will be 
done on the other side of the hill. We'll have a 
splendid view of it there, too, so get a move on.” 


18 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


They gathered up the camera and the tripod and 
hurried along in a line parallel with the advancing 
troops. 

The long slope was dotted now with stretcher 
parties hunting out the wounded, in order that they 
might be taken to the first-aid dressing stations, 
which were established in bomb-proof shelters a lit- 
tle way back of the lines. Prisoners, too, were met 
coming back in swarms, sullen and dejected for the 
most part, though on the faces of some there was a 
look of relief that the ordeal of battle was over. 
Some of the more slightly wounded had their arms 
about the necks of their comrades for support as 

they staggered along. 

‘Most of them seemed to be holding onto their 
trousers with both hands, and Joe remarked on the 
strangeness of this. 

“There’s a reason,” grinned Blake. “One of the 
fellows was telling me about it last night. It seems 
that when they take a big raft of prisoners like this 
the first thing they do when they round them up is 
to cut their suspenders. Then they can’t run away, 
for their trousers would slip down and trip them 
up. They’re so busy holding them up that they don’t 
have time to think of anything else and it only takes 
a few men to guard them.” 

“Good idea,” laughed Joe. . “It takes away from 
their dignity, but it does the trick.” 


TO THE RESCUE 19 


The boys soon reached the top of the hill, and as 
they surmounted the crest a simultaneous gasp came 
from all three at the sight that met their eyes. 

And while they are standing there, with their eyes 
shining and their hearts beating like trip-hammers, 
it may be well for the sake of those who have not 
read the preceding volumes of this series to tell who 
the boys were, and sketch something of their lives 
and exploits up to the time this story opens. 

Blake Stewart and Joe Duncan were bright, stal- 
wart American youths, whose early years had been 
spent in the country. They were working on ad- 
jacent farms when they came in contact with a mov- 
ing picture company that was staging some film 
scenes in the vicinity. They became fascinated with 
the work, for which they seemed to be peculiarly 
adapted, and the manager of the company, a Mr. 
Hadley, took a great liking to the boys and gave 
them a place in his organization. They were quick 
and ambitious and eager to learn, and it was not 
long before they developed into skilled operators. 
Their experiences in New York while they were 
learning the ins and outs of the business are told 
in the first volume of the series, entitled: ‘‘The Movie 
Boys on Call”; or ‘Filming the Perils of a Great 
City.” 

Mr. Hadley soon learned that there was no danger 
so great as to daunt the boys while in pursuit of 


described in the eighth volume of the series. 


While they had been having these experiences, th 


United States had been goaded into war with 
many because of the intolerable outrages on her 
zens. Blake and Joe were ardent patriots, and 
since aay, a Prepostig to visit the b 


titled: “The Movie Boys Under Fire” zi me 
~ Search for the Stolen F Te Ber 


a cane familiarly as “Mac,” a Hane i 
his nickname “Macaroni,” because of bee 





TO THE RESCUE 2r 


the American army which had started on its victor- 
ious drive against the Germans. 

As the boys reached the top of the hill, they saw 
coming toward them a tremendous mass of gray- 
clad figures on the double quick. The Germans, 
desperate at the loss of the hill, had hurried up re- 
inforcements and organized a fierce counter-attack 
in the resolve to sweep the Americans from the hill. 
On came the ranks, wave upon wave, from as far 
back as the boys could see. 

“Gee whiz!’ cried Joe. “It looks as though we 
were going to be attacked by the whole German 
army !’? 

“Quick !’ exclaimed Blake. “Set up that tripod 
and get the machine going. We never had a chance 
like this, and we may never have it again. Hustle 
now.” — 

On came the ranks as relentless as fate. The 
American guns had been signaled, and they opened 
up a devastating fire that tore great holes in the 
close-formed lines. But they closed up at once like 
water in the wake of a ship and kept coming. 

The camera now had been set up, and Joe was 
turning the crank with apparent calm, although he 
had never been the prey to such #mtense excitement. 

Then, like a tidal wave, the Germans struck the 
American lines! 

The impact was tremendous, but the Americans 


22 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS_ 


were ready for them and the attack beat against 
granite. 

Back and forth the lines swayed like two great 
anacondas in mortal combat. Men went down in 
heaps and the survivors fought over their bodies. 
The lines broke up into struggling groups where re- 
sort was had to the bayonet and gun butt. It was - 
a battle to the death. 

The boys had found a position a little to the right 
of the line, where they commanded a view of the 
greater part of the fighting, and Blake had just re- 
lieved Joe at the crank, when suddenly there was a 
tremendous explosion, the earth beneath them 
opened, and tons of earth and rock went hurtling 
toward the sky. 

A great blackness came down on the moving pic- 
‘ture boys like a blow and for a time they knew ne 
more. 


CHAPTER III 
A NARROW ESCAPE 


How long his unconsciousness lasted Blake never 
knew. 

When at last he came to himself, there was a roar- 
ing in his ears and a shimmer of dancing green lights 
before his eyes. His brain was reeling and his 
. head ached horribly. 

For a few moments he lay perfectly still, trying 
to figure out where he was and what had happened 
to him. Gradually he pieced events together. First 
he remembered that he had been at the foot of the 
long slope that the Americans had stormed. Then 
he thought of Wentworth and the broken leg that 
he had helped to bandage. There his recollection 
stopped for a time, while his dizzy brain tried to 
recall the rest that tantalizingly eluded him. 

“Wentworth, Wentworth,” he kept repeating to 
himself, fearful that if he lost that clue he could go 
no further. 

Then it all came back to him like a flash—the 


of doom and the end of the world. Ce 
He tried to rise, but felt as though a ton - were 
resting on his legs. He felt of his arms and chest, ; 
and was relieved to find that though they wert 
bruised and sore no bones seemed to be broken.) ks 
He raised his voice in a shout, but the sound was s 
muffled and there was no answering echo. He tried e ‘ 
again with the same result. Then a great fear came f 
to him that made the sweat start eee every po re 
of his body. 
He was buried alive! 


blessed light streaming through the wane 
realized that it was only a hideous dream. 
But he was not baie now. It was call toc 


_ vise in what might prove to abe ie tomb. a 

But it would not do to give way to gloomy 

 inings. While there was life there was. h 
a mighty effort he took a grip. on himself Q 

to control his dizzy brain : ‘so that h he could t 





A NARROW ESCAPE 25 


How had this thing come about? Had the ex- 
plosion of a monster shell dug a crater and engulfed 
him in the thrown-up earth? Had an ammunition 
dump blown up? 

He turned these thoughts over in his mind, only 
to dismiss them as inadequate. No, it was some- 
thing far more formidable than either of these that 
had caused that tremendous upheaval of the earth. 

Could it have been a mine? This seemed more 
probable. The Germans might have mined the hill 
with the idea of blowing it up if the Americans 
should gain possession of it. But if this was so, 
why had they waited until their own men were on 
it, engaged in deadly struggle with the enemy? Still 
that might have been due to a mistake in the timing. 

But from these conjectures he brought himself 
up with a jerk. How this had happened did not 
after all matter in the least. The dreadful fact was 
that he was somewhere under ground and face to 
face with death. 

His hand came in contact with his water bottle 
and he was rejoiced to find that it was nearly full. 
He took a long draught and cooled his hot lips and 
parched throat. 

Although his legs were pinioned, he was able to 
move his arms and body without much difficulty. 
Loose dirt in plenty was lying on him, but not in 
a solid mass. Some timbers must have arched over 


* cleared somewhat, again began. to whirl. 


who knew at what moment fhe might giv 
and let tons of earth and rock down ne him 


sae 7 Toba cy i 

He held his breath, and his heart almost see ed to. 

stop beating while he listened. 
Again the sound came and this time it aia . 


A gleam of hope shot into Blake’ S tortured 

Somebody, perhaps, was taking steps towar 
_ cue. He knew that if Joe and Charlie were : 
the land of the living they would work their if 
_ off to get to him. 


2 HES 
His ai were laboring and his iene 


es 
U 


It ui) not be nis a matter of minute at the 


He half faiste® his sod aes so a 
his face closer to the earth where what 
remained was cooler and fresher than jh 





A NARROW ESCAPE - 27 


He had been close to death more than once in his 
adventurous career, but that had been for the most 
part in the open where he could fight and have a 
chance for his life. But to die helpless and alone in 
this coffin of earth where all he could do was to 
hope and wait was too horrible for words. 

He was gasping now, opening his mouth as widely 
as possible to draw the vitiated air that tasted like 
copper into his starved lungs. There was a choking 
feeling in his throat. He felt that consciousness 
was leaving him and he fought desperately to retain 
it. 

Then suddenly a pick was thrust through the roof 
of his living grave, and there came an inrush of cool, 
sweet air that Blake drank in with great gulps as 
though it were so much nectar. 

He could hear a confused murmur of voices now, 
growing more and more distinct as the vigorous 
and repeated strokes of the pick enlarged the hole 
and light as well as air rushed in. | 

He thought he could distinguish Joe’s voice, but 
he was not sure. He tried to shout himself, but it 
was only after a third effort that he could force his 
voice to utter a sound. 

Then a face appeared at the hole. 

“Hello!” shouted a voice that he now knew was 
Joe’s. “Is anyone there? Are you there, Blake?’ 

“T’m here,” Blake managed to get out in little 

























ba) PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BAT Lb 


more thede whisper. But Joe’s melee ear Tes 
“Glory hallelujah!” he shouted. “Charlie, come : 
here, quick! I’ve found him.” : yk hin 
Then he turned again to the eachane and asked _ 
anxiously : ees us 
“Are you hurt, old man?” Ce eh 
“T guess not,” replied Blake. ‘No bones broken 
as far as I can find out. Can’t speak for my legs, 
though, for they’re pinned down by something that ee 
feels as though it weighs a ton.” 
“We'll get you out in a jiffy,” cried Joe hae 
fully, and reinforced by Charlie and a number of 
soldiers who ran to help, the hole was soon enlarged 
so that Joe could drop down beside his friend. 
Great care was necessary to avoid dislodging rocks 
or timbers that might come crashing down with se- 
rious results. But at last the work was done, the 
weight that rested on Blake’s legs was removed, an 
a score of willing hands were at his service to lift — 
him out of the hole and lay him on a stretcher that | 
had been brought. — ane f 
| ae hank God that you re alive! ‘ad -exclaimet 





A NARROW ESCAPE 29 


They rubbed his legs vigorously until gradually 
feeling returned to them, and he was able, with their 
support, to rise to his feet and lean against the side 
of a gun. 

“And now tell me about yourselves,” he said to 
his friends when in answer to their eager questions 
he had narrated his own experience. 

“Oh, we had luck,” replied Joe. “We went flying 
into a heap of bushes and got off with only a few 
scratches. But the shock made us woozy for a 
while, and all we could do was to sit looking at each 
other like a pair of boobs. Then we got to hunting 
round for you and J tell you what, old boy, we went 
nearly crazy when we couldn’t see anything of you. 
We were like a couple of wild men. A bunch of the 
soldiers helped us dig and, as luck would have it, 
we hit upon the right place.” 

“It was bully of you,” said Blake gratefully, “and 
you sure did come just in the nick of time. I knew 
you'd be moving heaven and earth to get at me if 
you could, but, of course, I didn’t know but what 
you might be in the same fix as I was. How did 
the whole thing happen, anyway? Was it a mine?” 

“That’s what,” replied Joe. “The Heinies had 
mined the hill, but by seme mistake on their part 
they didn’t set it off as soon as they meant 
to. The consequence was that they killed more 
of their own men than they did of ours, though 













a aie many at our poor ae, wen West, 
But it didn’t do the Huns any good, for our boys | 
licked cae vee and Props and ie cane 
them now.’ 

“That’s fine and ae ae enctiien Blake, as te 
looked down the hill where he could see the Germans — 
in disorderly retreat. “I wish mena chase them of 
- the map.” ee 

“They'll chase them back to the Rhine, anyway, 
before they get through,’ pie Joey 


do pretty well for a gc 























we develop the film. I hope that film hasn’ t heir: 
i ae I’ q ‘hate like oe aes to lose to-day's 











ae battle at close range.’ 
“Well, the only way to Aid out is to test it,” 

Blake. “Let’s get back to headquarters and sie 
film through its bath and see how it comes out.’ 

| “Are you sure you’ re rested enough?” asked 

- golicitously. 

— “Sure thing,” 


~ 












ic 


“Tm a 2 Tittle shak: 





vectied Blake: | 


TM CRIA ef 


Pepe 
: Be es 


LF cis ti, [4 
f Tie we) 











’ said Blake, as he 
“This water’s been stand- 


Pe t need ; a. an of eee or hesitant se! 
‘ ted Blake. “It’s just what the doctor 


32 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


ordered. Now we'll give it the fixing bath, wash it 
off, dry it, and wind it up.” 

“Well,” observed Joe with a sigh of relief, when 
everything was done and the precious film safely 
stowed away, “it’s been a pretty tough day, espe- 
cially for you, Blake, but we've got something 
mighty good to show for it. The best film yet 
taken.” 


CHAPTER IV 
DECEIVING THE ENEMY 


THE moving picture boys slept well that night 
after the tremendous strain and excitement of the 
day, and awoke the next morning none the worse 
for their adventure, except that they were feeling a 
certain soreness that vanished, however, as the morn- 
ing progressed. 

Blake found himself the object of congratulations 
from many of the officers and men, for the news 
of his close call had spread rapidly. 

“You just escaped by the skin of your teeth,” ob- 
served Lieutenant Baker, a young officer with whom 
they had struck up a warm friendship. 

“I sure did,” agreed Blake. “A few minutes 
more and everything would have been all up with 
me.” 

“Well, you were lucky to escape with your life,” 
said the lieutenant. ‘““That’s more than many of the 
poor fellows did.” 

“Yes,” replied Blake regretfully, “Joe was telling 

33 


NG 34 "PICTURE 1 BOYS on FR 


i 


the explosion. But he aa too, ‘that. oe 
- got it a good deal worse than we did.” — yp 
“That’s true,’’ confirmed Baker. Te was ¢ 
of boomerang for the Huns. They slipped 


ae some way and set the mine offa fev mi one 


be.”’ 

; “It’s getting to be o efiteney, - guess,” ty 
Joe. “Our boys sure gave pal an awful y 
lea Bh yh 


hie 


| RUE ead good 1 many ies we Sp 
more. ae re Sid easier to take than 
to be.” | ee 


Hae to stop.” 
“Impossible is right,” | Be | eve 
Nec them on the run | OW ‘and it’s allt with them. 


‘to the 
aoa 





DECEIVING THE ENEMY 35 


cred Rhine of theirs and then they’il throw up their 
hands. If they don’t we'll just have to finish up the 
job and go straight through to Berlin.” 

“That's just what I’m hoping for,” said Blake 
grimly. “I don’t want them to quit too soon. That 
would make it too easy for them. I’d like to see the 
war pushed on German soil. I want them to taste a 
little of what they’ve given to France and Belgium. 
I want them to hear the roar of cannon and the 
screaming of shells in their own cities and villages. 
I want to see their roads choked with refugees flee- 
ing for their lives. Of course, we wouldn’t do to 
them what they’ve done to the French and Belgians. 
We simply couldn’t. It isn’t in our nature. We 
couldn’t stand up old men and little boys and shoot 
them down. We couldn’t kill helpless women and 
babies, but I would like to see some of their cities 
go up in flames and their villages turned into piles 
of rubbish.” , 

He stopped, almost breathless with the intensity 
of his feeling. 

“Blake is getting eloquent this morning,” laughed 
Joe. 

“Ves,” assented the lieutenant with a smile, “but 
he doesn’t put it a bit too strongly. He’s only say- 
ing what civilized people all over the world are feel- 
ing. But-there isn’t a chance of anything of the 
kind happening. Those fellows bluster a lot, but 


“ hoa it comes ies a ae oa they’ uit like 
lot of yellow dogs. They'll make door-mats at 
themselves before they’ll take a chance of He 
their IHS and towns Poa | 


| Did they quit? Nota Hit of it. 
_ whine or yelp out of them. But the Heinies. < i} 
quit soon enough when they yi rigs bee 


kind of a prophet I am.’ | . | me 
_ “T think you're ig” said the Feutenat, 
we'll see. j 


back of the Seen ‘Divisaae 
“Sure we would,” replied Blake, and. 
— echoed by the others heartily. | 

A few minutes’ walk beotigte ee iy 





DECEIVING THE ENEMY 37 


‘sixty of them, of all calibers from the lighter field- 
pieces to the heavier monsters of tremendous range 
and power. 

“So these are the fellows that were barking at us 
yesterday,” remarked Blake with exultation in his 
tones. 

“Mighty big bunch of them,’ observed Joe. 

“And look at the way they’re painted,’ said 
Charlie. | 

“All the colors of the rainbow. They actually 
make your eyes ache when you look at them,” added 
Joe. 

“But they make your heart glad to count them,” 
chuckled Blake. 

“Hard to keep your eyes on ’em long enough to 
count ’em, though, fixed up like that,’ observed 
Charlie Anderson. | 

“What's the idea of all this gaudy stuff?” asked 
Joe. “We've been keeping the Germans so busy 
that I shouldn’t think they’d have much time for 
art.” 

“That isn’t art,” said the lieutenant dryly. 
“That's business. It’s camouflage.” 

“Oh, that’s it!’ exclaimed Blake with interest. 
“I knew that they camouflaged almost everything 
else on earth and I knew they camouflage the posi- 
tion of the guns, but I didn’t know they used it on 
the guns themselves.” 











38 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH { BATTL EFIEL DS 


‘ 


“They don’ t as a rule,” explained the eaten ; i 
“When they’re holding a position on a certain front - 









for any length of time, they content themselves with _ 


, hiding the pins so that the aviators can’t spot them, 
but since we’ve forced them out into the open they’ve _ 
had to camouflage the guns themselves. And it — 


does pretty well as a makeshift, too, for it’s mighty _ 


hard to locate them, with all these spots and stripes — 


to deceive the eye. Now, for instance, if this": 


‘pointing to one of the big guns near him, “were 


pet fectly black, you could stand a hundred feet off ce 


with a rifle and hit it without half trying. It would 
be no trick at all because it would be a plain target. “a 
But if you tried to get a bead on this gun now with — 


ali its colors, it would make your eyes water, and 


ten to ene you wouldn’t come within several Bite 


evar bee 


“Big time stuff,” Pe Bhalces, si) 8) view 
“Tt certainly is,” acquiesced the lieutenant. “Bat 


this is nothing to some of the stunts these camou- . 
flage artists pull off. You moving picture fellows y 
are no slouches wken it comes to faking things, Pi 


admit. You can make an audience think that Gt, 


“That camouflage is a great idea,” said Joe ad- x 
miringly. BE ict, ee 





sees a man jump from the ground to the top of the . 
Woolworth Building. © ‘But if you eon see some: ber 





DECEIVING THE ENEMY 39 


ing camps it would make you sit up and take no- 
Cee 

“They'd have to be pretty good if they put any- 
thing over on us,” said Joe, coming to the defense 
of his profession. 

“Tm from Missouri,” remarked Blake. incredu- 
lously. “You'll have to show me.” 

“Til show you all right,” laughed Baker. “Tl 
tell you what I'll do. There’s a camouflage camp 
of ours only a few miles from here in a village back 
of the lines. We'll be busy here for the next day 
or two, consolidating our positions and bringing up 
our artillery in preparation for another advance. If 
I can arrange it this afternoon, I’ll get one of the 
army autos and whirl you fellows over. It’s likely 
enough there’ll be some orders to be sent over there 


and I’ll ask.our colonel to let me take them. Would . 


you like to go?” 

“What a question,’ laughed Blake Stewart, eager: 
for the trip. 

“You don’t have to ask us twice,” grinned Joe. 

“Don’t leave me behind, Lieutenant Baker,” 
pleaded Charlie. 

“All right,’ concluded the lieutenant. “It’s a 
go then. I think I can arrange it.” 

His supposition was correct, for shortly after 
mess he sent an orderly to the boys asking them to 
come to his quarters. 


40 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


They complied promptly and found him sitting 
in an army auto waiting for them. 

“Ready, eh?” he greeted them. “Pile in then 
and we'll break all the speed laws between here and 
Hoboken.” 

In a twinkling they were in beside him. He took 
the wheel, and the big machine at once sprang for- 
ward. 


CHAPTER V 
CHEATING THE EYE 


“DANDY car you've got there,’ commented Blake, 
as the big machine purred along with scarcely a 
jar, yet so swiftly that the miles were fairly eaten 
up. 

“Tt runs like a dream,” observed Joe. 

“It’s a lallapalooza,’’ added Macaroni. 

“The old girl does move along rather lively,” 

agreed the lieutenant with a touch of pride in his 
voice. “Everything that Uncle Sam sends over is 
mighty good stuff. There’s nothing too good for 
the army boys.” 
_ “Maybe the Germans wouldn’t like to get hold 
of a few of these,” chuckled Blake. “TI hear they’re 
so short of rubber now that they’ve stopped using 
tires, and their old machines go clanking along like 
so much scrap iron over the pavement.” 

“They'll be short of more things than rubber be- 

4l 


on hs 42 ‘PICTURE Boys ON FRENCH 


fore we get Heodett with i ay a - 
tenant. “ty Sel nag 
“Short of breath if they ee on running as t th 
have for the last few days,” laughed Blake. . 
“They'll be good Marathon runners before 0 z | 
boys finish the job,” grinned Joe. - rote 
“Look out for that shell hole, Lieutenant Pe 
tioned Mac. | ‘ 
meee 1g responded the officer, as fe deft y 


ee guided his car past the edge of a deep crater in 


center of the road. “Lucky it’s SN ae instead of 
night, or we might have had a Batu 
ne acter. 


te 


nN coming to, Lieutenant. Does the road He 
prauey rane 


foe think’ rt foe sued carina 


“In what way?” queried - Blake. 
ey there does ii seem to be 





CHEATING THE EVE 43 


replied Joe, “and yet there’s a pretty good hreeze 
blowing down here.” 

Nearer and nearer the car sped towards the 
woods. 

“Look out, Lieutenant,” cried Mac as.he reached 
forward to clutch the officer’s arm. “You're going 
to run right into that tree.” 

Baker paid no attention and a shout of alarm 
rose from ali three as the machine made straight 
for a mighty oak. 

Then suddenly the oak seemed to split apart, two 
sentries stood one on either side of where the tree 
had been standing, and, as though by magic, the car 
elided into a vast rectangular space that the boys 
saw at once was one of Uncle Sam’s army training 
camps. 

They looked at each other sheepishly, while the 
lieutenant broke into a roar of laughter. 

“Stung!” exclaimed Blake. 

“One on us,” admitted Joe. 

“T sure thought we were goners that time,” mut- 
tered Mac, a little shamefacedly, yet with unmis- 
takable relief for escape from what had seemed to 
be imminent peril. 

“You movie boys were from Missouri and wanted 
to be shown,” chaffed the lieutenant good-naturedly. 
“Well, I’ve shown you, haven’t I?” 

“We acknowledge the corn,” admitted Blake with. 


he's ar a gay deceiver.” | 
Pome es “he; 1's thes corrected the officer. 


tain. 
Ne 


glasses they couldn’t see any one a ie and. the . 
wouldn't waste any shells on it.” Ray a 
“And you don’t even have to knock to ae in 4 
here,” laughed Blake. “Those sentries seemed O- 
spring from the ground.” | SOR 
Sik saw us coming,’ " explained the feutena t 


| ~~ about them sith interest. : | 
ae “T see you're protected from the sky, too,” a 
served Oe as he looked A at great nese of cal vas 


‘i Bi 





¥ 


” murmured Joe Duncan, sym- 


% ag old brute, 


Wk 


in ba great ee ‘Tt was an sett repro- : 





ba é 
re 
i i i 
ate Dy i 
x \ * 
isn 
the NE 
aw oe 
A neee vies a 
fy 
5 # 





into the air. 





framework of bamboo. | : 
‘See how light it is, ”? said the officer. : + 


it easily into the air. | | ‘ 

“That makes it easy to Pe Too) cose 
Baker. “The camouflage corps can rig up one bf 
these 1 in a few minutes. then it can be slipped o at at 


most of what the enemy’s doing or planning: t 
do. To the Germans it’s only one dead horse | 
among many, and they don’t tumble to it. “Get. 


inside, Larkin,” he directed, turning to the young | 


soldier, “and show us just. how the ie is” 


worked.” 


With a grin the man | obeyed, lepine into a 
large cavity and arranging himself ona 


upon his side. 


“Now come around to this side of the horse,” 
said the lieutenant to the boys. | RTS 
They did as directed and saw the wicked tobe 


muzzle of Larkin’s rifle pointed toward them 
through a hole inthe hide | . hee | fis ‘ 


i Phere he ts, said Baker 7“ a laugh, 


he 


CHEATING THE EYE 47 


for business. As snug and comfortable as you 
please.” 

“Pretty cramped though,” remarked Blake. “He 
hasn’t room enough to change his mind.” 

“No,” admitted the lieutenant, “he hasn’t all the 
comforts of home, but still he does well enough, 
and that repeating rifle of his would certainly give 
the Huns a surprise party if they came prowling 
around too near. Only the other day, one of our 
boys in a contraption like this wiped out an entire 
German patrol of half a dozen men. The Heinies 
didn’t know where the bullets were coming from. 
But come along now and we'll see some things these 
fakirs are doing. 

“Look at that tree,” he said, after they had walk- 
ed a little further. “Do you see anything strange 
about it?’ 

“T don’t know about trees,” said Blake sus- 
piciously. “Since you fooled us when you were 
running into that fake oak tree back there I’ve 
grown distrustful.” 

“Oh, this is a real tree,” laughed the lieutenant. 
“T give you my word for that. _ But look at it close- 
ly. Anyone in it?” 

“Not a soul,” declared Joe promptly., 

“Wouldn't want to bet on it, would you?” asked 
Baker. , 

“T wouldn’t bet on anything in this:dump,” said 














my 


vo PICTURE p BOYS on v PRENCH sATTL FI 


Joe emphatically ot wonidate even bet that. nd 
alive ou MESSE isk 
“Well,” said the Heutenenk: here G is a man : there ) 
just as big and tall a man as any of us four, and Ht 
he isn’t hiding behind the trunk or any branch of 
it either. You're looking at him right now and ye 3 
don’t see him.” : “ a 
The boys rubbed their eyes and looked more ‘ 
closely. It was not a ee branched tree, hee 






them. And Tieucenans Baker had assured hone o h: 
that the man was not on the ees side of the 
ice: 

“Well. Tl prt you out of your Bice fused 
the lieutenant. Pf astc fine Your eyes on the crue 


unusual up vetlel gy 
“Seems to me it’s a little thicker there,” " pro- 


~ nounced Blake. 


“Bulges out a bit,” observed Joe. 





ed the officer. 


3 


Bay at between the markings of the tree and the 
wi the man wore, The tree had gray and white on 








1 60) PICTURE BOYS On PRENCH BATTLEP EL 











tify the enemy. — 





tion. Even their rifles are striped in Vie same way _ 
so as to make no contrast against the background 
of the tree. The men are crack shots and they've 
saved many a Heinie the trouble of taking the load 
hike back to the Rhine.” : 
“Well,” remarked Blake, taking a long ee 
“this would be no an for a man with delirium 
tremens.” 
“Vd be a candidate for a padded cell myself if I e 
stayed here long enough,” affirmed Joe. — mie 
“l’m going to hold tight onto my plate at chow | 
to-night,” said Mac, “or I'll expect to see it vanish — 
out of my hand. I’ve lost confidence in everything. — 


Is this solid ground I’m basic on, or is see 
camouflaged, too?” 


“We haven’t got quite as far as that yet,” % 
plied Lieutenant Baker with a laugh. | 
For the next hour the moving picture boys saun- on 
tered about the camp, finding new marvels at every _ 
step. Concrete observation posts that seemed to be _ 
mere inequalities in the ground, waving ferns eis } 
grasses from which protruded the muzzles of four- 
teen-inch guns, innocent-looking roadways that 


“ really were yawning pits covered lightly with rushes — 
and sods that gave way at the slightest pressure, — : 


wooden guns, dummy tanks and a host of other 
cunning appliances costes to bewilder and my 





CHEATING THE EVE SI 


“Well,” said Blake, when at length they had re- 
luctantly torn themselves away and were seated 
once more in the army car, “I have a new respect 
for the art of camouflage. I didn’t dream that 
they'd carried it to such an extent.” 

“Yes,” put in Mac, “it isn’t only the doughboys 
with bullets that are winning this war. The artists, 
too, are doing their bit in beating the Huns.” 

“For my part,” said Joe, as the lieutenant threw 
in the clutch and the car started, “it seems to me like 
a page from the Arabian Nights. All we need now 
is a genii coming out of the neck of a bottle and the 
thing would be complete.” 


CHAPTER VI 
DEATH FROM THE SKY 


A FEw nights later, Blake was aroused from sleep 
by an unusual commotion. Noise was common 
enough on that active section of the front, where 
the artillery seldom ceased its growling even 
through the night. 

His first impulse was to turn over and go to sleep 
again, for he had had an unusually trying day. But 
there was something insistent, ominous, strange 
about this tumult that finally forced its way fully 
into his consciousness. 

He opened his eyes and looked toward the little 
window of the room in the cottage where he and 
his friends were billeted. A red glare streamed 
through the pane, and he was wide awake at once. 

Springing from his bed, he rushed to the window 
and looked out. Flames were leaping high into the 
air from the direction in which the Red Cross hos- 
pital lay. Great billows of smoke rose skyward, 
and as his eyes followed them he saw a descending 

52 


DEATH FROM THE SKY 53 


object which a moment later was followed by a tre- 
mendous explosion. 

He rushed to where his friends lay sleeping. 

“Get up, fellows,” he shouted. “Joe! Charlie! 
get up, quick!” 

They sat up in bed, looking at him stupidly, as 
they rubbed their eyes. 

“What's the matter?’ mumbled Joe. 

Blake seized him by the shoulder and gave him a 
vigorous shake. 

“Wake up!” he cried. “Come out of your 
trance! The hospital’s'on fire! The Huns are raid- 
ing it!” 

Both Joe and Charlie were awake enough now. 
They leaped out of bed and tumbled into their 
clothes. 

“The hospital!’ exclaimed Joe, as he slipped on 
his coat. “But that’s marked with the Red Cross 
and it’s lighted up at night. I don’t see how the 
Huns could make any mistake about that.”’ | 

Blake laughed bitterly. 

“You poor innocent,” he cried. “As if that 
wasn't simply an invitation to those fellows. 
‘There’s nothing sacred to that breed. But hustle 
now. We may be able to do something to help. 
And Charlie, you bring the camera along and come 
after us. I don’t know that we'll have any time to 
take pictures, but if we do Id like to be able to show 











the ae of the United States ioe wie kind of 
people it is that they’re fighting.” 4 
~ The two darted out of the room, leaving Charlie : 
to follow, and ran as fast as they could in the direc- § 
tion of the hospital, about half a mile away. a 
A faint hope still lingered that it might be some — 
other building. But this was dissipated, as, at a 
turn of the road, they came in full view of the blaz-_ 
ing structure. 
The hospital base consisted of a large number of ir 
one-story buildings, spread out over a space of sev- 
eral acres. Some were open-air pavilions where 
convalescents had their quarters, others were de- 
signed for serious cases, while those of a central). 
group were used for surgical operations. Upon the 
roofs of these had been painted gigantic red crosses, - 
plainly visible to aviators by day and still more ; 
visible at night, when brilliantly illuminated. ‘A 
The night was clear, the stars were out and. a 
mistake by aviators was absolutely impossible. 
The Allies had acted on the theory that they - were th 
dealing with a civilized nation, although every 
month that the war progressed was teaching them — 
how utterly they had been mistaken. Pn iM 
The central building, that of the surgical opera- | 
tions, was in flames, while some of the other build- fi 
ings near by had also caught fire. It was les at a j 
glance that the main, beating was Hoee 





| DEA TH FROM THE SKY 55 





Ee gasp of ies went up from the boys. 

“There were hundreds of poor wounded fellows 
in that oe !” panted Joe as he ran. 

_ “Yes,” gritted Blake through his teeth. “Oh, 
§ hose beasts!” he muttered, as he shook his fist to- 

g ward the sky. 

: The whole camp had been roused by this time and 

_ thousands had rushed to the rescue. So many there 
were that were eager to help that they would have 

j Potten in each other’s way, had not the officers 

Poke command of the situation and drawn a cor- 

_don around the place, while a sufficient force of men 

os detailed to do the rescue work. | 

_ The scene was heart-rending. Men without legs 
band: arms, utterly helpless, were brought out on 
- stretchers. Some had been actually on the oper- 
_ating table when the raid took place, and doctors and 
Red Cross nurses ran along beside them, trying to 

‘staunch the blood from their wounds that had 

‘not yet been sewn up. The bombs were still 

‘raining down, and even as the boys looked, a bomb 


te 
a 
a 


exploded in the midst of a party of doctors and. 


nurses, blowimg them and their helpless burdens to 
Bess 

_ Joe was white to the lips and Blake was trembling 
Bide rage and pity. They wanted to rush in and 
help, but were prevented by the military guards. 
_ Just then, Blake felt a touch on his arm. He 

















turned and found Chavtic standing panting beside 
a, an | Y 
— “T tried to get here sooner,” Charlie oe as. hel 
laid down the camera and tripod, “but these things: 
were pretty heavy and you beat me to it.” MD 
“Quick!” said Blake. “Set it up, Charlie. If we 
can’t do anything else we can put on record this 
picture of a hideous way the Germans are cc 
ing on war.’ ; 
That's Heth ” said a voice, and they fl looked up. 
to find Lieutenant Baker close beside them. = 
“These flames will give you light enough,” said 
the lieutenant. “Get the whole thing.in your film, 
the wounded men, the slaughtered agai and 
nurses, everything.” : 
The tripod was hastily planted, the camera placed 
and the film began to register. a 
The American commanders were not content with 
merely rescuing the victims of this barbarity. AL 
lied planes were hastily manned and winged their 
way upward in pursuit of the raiders. Searchlights. 
swung great arcs across the sky, seeking out the lore 
cation of the attacking planes. Anti-aircraft guns" 
from batteries all over the camp were sending their 
- missiles upward on the aan of Seance some of : 


the unseen foes. : 


4 


WANN Fen a 
Nea a 





















t rie ae soaring i eohilé the Cee of. their 
motors and the pelins of their machine pee 
could be faintly heard from below. 

‘ Dik some minutes this continued, and then one 


ic “When half the fiatiace had been covered, the 
7 lot” regained some measure of control and at- 
tempted to attain a higher altitude. But the plane 
was too badly crippled and the attempt was useless. 
came lower and lower in great sweeping spirals, 
‘man markings. 
The crowd scattered to give it space for landing, 
but the moment it touched the ground they rushed 
oward it. It wasa German bombing machine and 
had carried a crew of four men. Two of these had 
already paid the penalty, having been killed by some 
the stream of machine-gun bullets rained upon 
em. The commander and his observer seemed to 









t hed i in upon them 
dozen hands reached in and tore them roughly 





and a shout went up as it was seen that it bore Ger- (i: 


unwounded, but their faces whitened as the crowd. 









38 PICTURE Boys ON FRE! . B 


Rich them fois) 
“Kill the beasts!’ Sea Pn) 
“Put a bullet into them!” are yc) ia. 
“Throw them into the flames!” _ a 
“Tear them to pieces!” 

It would have gone hard with them, but. just 
at that moment a captain with a detachment of men 
forced himself through the crowd and took se & 
sion of the prisoners. 

The crowd fell back reluctantly, still orrehee 

ominously, but they were soldiers first of all ee 
military discipline prevailed. hee 

Unmeasured relief came int the captives’ eyes, 
together with something of defiance and arrogance 
as they saw themselves rescued from the wrath of 
the throng. | 4 
_ The captain looked them over r grimly. From head 
to foot and foot to head again his eyes traveled with 
an unutterable contempt that would have blistered 
anyone susceptible of shame. Even the Huns fid- 
geted and reddened at last as that relentless Bags 
bored through them. ie 
“Why did you ke your bane on this hospital 














in’t you pee the Red et ee marked plainly 
” pursued his interrogator. 

No? ’ answered the prisoner sullenly. © “Any- 
,” he continued, with a flaring up of his habitual 


way, 
rrogance, “St had no right to be located so close 
: +”? 











wh. 
ta) 


Again the captain’s look of biting contempt. 
_ “I knew you were a brute,” said the captain. 
ee I know ipa you are a liar, too. Take them 


if 


pot is i a sr 














4 view. | 
"The hounds! i be Pica Joe. “They exght eu 





-: "Tho easy, > muttered Blake. “They ought to bs 
ade to die by inches.” | : 
“And ' we treat those fellows as prisoners of war,” 
d ae bitterly. ‘“They’re simply pirates and 
itc To bomb a hospital, killing helpless a 


7 nded men, women nurses!” he concluded sav- — 











hey'r re ine the same thing on the sea,’ ” said . 
= ate oe ec delight i in sinking hos- ; 2 


60 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


pital ships. Only the other day, a hundred and 
twenty-three wounded men strapped to cots were 
drowned. Think of the Warilda, the Llandovery 
Castle, the long list of them, all plainly marked and 
lighted so that their character couldn’t possibly be 
mistaken.” 

“They think they’re getting away with it and that 
when the war is over it will all be forgotten,” said 
Joe, “but that’s where they make their mistake. The 
Allies are keeping tab on the men who order these 
things to be done, and when Germany is beaten to 
her knees they’re going to demand that these men 
be given up to be tried and executed if convicted. 
They'll find that there’s a God in heaven yet.” 

“Well, let’s hope so,” said Blake. “And if the 
fellows who engineered this raid are ever hung, 
I’d give ten years of my life to be able to give the 
signal.” ) 


Minar Vil 
CHARGING WITH THE TANKS 


“Wat's that you’re fooling with?” asked Blake, 
as he came one morning shortly afterward to where 
Joe and Charlie were examining with great curi- 
osity a weapon that they had picked out from a 
number that had been captured from the Germans. 

For answer, Joe turned it in his friend’s direc- 
tion and the latter jumped hastily aside as he saw 
a wicked-looking muzzle threatening him. 

“For the love of Pete! be careful with that thing,” 
Blake expostulated. “I don’t want any of that 
‘didn’t know it was loaded’ business in mine. What 
name does that murderous thing go by, anyway?” 

“T don’t wonder it gives you a shock,” laughed 
Joe, as he obeyed his friend’s injunction. “It’s 
what they call an anti-tank gun. It’s a new thing 
the Heinies have conjured up to get the better of 
the tanks. Come and take'a look at it.” 

Blake did so. The weapon was after the rifle 
type, but very much larger and heavier, so much so 

61 





in fact that it was more ny a man 1 eouts: caste ing 
handle and had to be operated on a swivel that 
enabled it to be turned in any direction. _ ak 
_ “They say it can send a bullet through a tank at ee 
_ the distance of a mile,” explained Joe. Het 
“T can readily believe it,” answered Blake. “Gee, 
‘it’s more like a piece of artillery than a rifle.” | 
“l’'d hate to be standing in front of the muzzle 
when it was fired,” observed Macaroni. hy 
“The result would be something like that the 
darky spoke of when he was looking at the death 
-. chair in a State prison in company with a friend,” __ 
laughed Blake. ‘The friend looked at the chair 
and said: | he a 
““*Am dat where de prisoner sits?” ey iis y 
“Tt sho’ am,’ replied the other. BE sc 
—““An’ den de sain turns on de ’lectricity” 
mV es.! . | 
“*“An’ what happens den?’ 
‘Ruin,’ replied the other, “jess ruin.’ a 
The boys laughed. BAW oh: 
_ “The tanks have sure got the Germans’ goat,’ sf 
remarked Blake. “Ever since the English started _ 
using them, the Heinies have been figuring up some 
way to stop them. First they got up some tanks of _ 
their own, but they were so big and unwieldy that 
they didn’t do any good. The British tanks ran 
ak circles areund them. Then Fritz built inchs: concrete . 


a 




















































"CHARGING WITH THE TANKS 63 


flats i in all the ae where he thought the tanks 
| would be.coming along, but that didn’t bother the 
tanks at all. They just left the roads and mean- 
ered through the woods. If a tree was in their 
way it was so much the worse for the tree. The - 
tanks ‘didn’t mind a little thing like that. Oh, I tell 
you, they’re great stuff.” | 
_ “I don’t wonder the Heinies ran like sheep when 
Bicy first saw them used,” commented Charlie, “and 
_Idon’t blame them much either. To be wakened out 
of your sleep and run out of your tent and then to 
"see those great monsters coming at you through the 
“mists would be enough to make any man beat it 
while the going was good.” 
a “The old car of Juggernaut wasn’t in it Weare 
tanks,” observed Joe. 
_ “By the way,” said Blake, a think we'll ae a 
chance to see the tanks in action very soon and get 
| “some great pictures, too.” 
_ “What makes you think so?” asked ie caren. 
_ “Well,” said Blake, “you must have noticed what _ 
a lot of them are gathering on this part of the front. 
For the last few days I’ve been seeing them where- 
ever I looked. Then, too, the fellows in charge of 
them have been working like beavers getting them 
n shape. And only yesterday I heard some officers 
te ee about, the strong entrenchments the Germans 
have oe eueine back of the present lines. So, ae 






















taking everything boeertieel ae Have? a eae ‘that 
they’re getting ready to send the tanks in advance 
to clear a way for the artillery.” | | 
“There’s a big Jumbo of a tank in that little side 
road,” suggested Joe. “Let’s walk mais that BAe | 
and take a look at it.” | ie 
His friends were perfectly willing, and they w were 
soon standing beside one of the gray monsters that 
was having some slight repairs done to it by one 
of its crew. He was a bright, merry-eyed fellow. 
and was perfectly willing to talk about his eigantic 

pet, in which he evidently took great pride. 
_ showed them the machine guns mounted on all ma 
sides of the tank in Addins to one three-inch field- : 
piece. ae: 
“Regular cave you Have in there,” remarked) 
Blake, as he looked into the yawning: interior. 
“How big a crew do you carry?? pane ; 
“From six to eight men besides the operator,” 4 
replied the man. ‘Sometimes we have as many a : 
: 








aR 


he bated with a shade of sadness in his tome “B 
the Heinies lost a ce caret more,” he — . 
DrSAieens up. Be | 
















‘rier pigeons,” Pinevercd Me man. — iy tn eee 
oS arrier pigeons!” echoed Joe in surprise. 

: “What | use do you find for then! in a tank?” 

“Lots,” was the answer. “Once in a while we 

t stuck in the mire or in a trench and at times we 
t upset. Then we’ve got to have other tanks come 

help us out of the fix. Perhaps the Boches are 

all around us and we'd sure get potted if one of 
ees out. In such a case, we send one of the 









$ too late. But the mice detect it instantly and 
a to. ea Then we uit on our masks in a 















Aes PICTURE : BOYS ON FRENCH B 
Tf one of the pipes springs a ‘eat the a mice ce give: 
warning and the crew gets busy right away.” 

“Well,” said Joe, “Pm learning a lot about this. 
war that I never knew before.” 

“We were just saying a little while ago that it 
looked as though the tanks were going into action 
soon,” remarked Blake. “What about it?” | 

The man looked mysterious. 

“It’s against orders for me to say anything,” he: 
replied, “but I shouldn’t be surprised if there would 
be something doing before long. You said you were 
taking one pictures, didn't you lat 

“Yes,” said Blake. 

“Well then, you just get your films ready and 
stick around,” advised their new acquaintance. _ 

‘Two days later, Blake and Joe were summoned to 
the quarters of their commanding officer, 

“There’s going to be an advance by our troops to- 
morrow morning,” he announced. “The tanks are. 
going ahead of them, and as you haven't had much 
chance to see them in action it may be a good op- 
portunity to get some pictures of them for the War 
aha ay You can make arrangements to be 
‘up in the front and close beside them. It will be 
ticklish and dangerous work, but I’ve learned by this 
time that that doesn’t worry you much "ov iia ae a 

“We've been pretty lucky so far, sir,” “answered 
Blake, “and I ae our luck will Scan 2 A nae 












‘CHARGI! ¢ wire THE TANKS (03408 Gly Me to 
Bae) 2s , Dante 
. ext. morning before dawn, they had been A 
ened their place up in the front ranks. Through = 
he gloom they could see a multitude of dark shapes 
: lined up at intervals that they knew were the tanks. — ; 
E Silence reigned in the ranks of the men who were he 
a standing i in their trenches awaiting the command to ie 
go over the top, for it was hoped that-the aftack 7) a" 
would take the enemy by surprise. i ae 
i Slowly the darkness grew:less dense as the dawn ak! 
crept up the sky. Then, at a given signal, the artil- 
ery opened up with a tremendous roar that shook 
the earth, a barrage of fire was laid down and the 
ponderous tanks plunged forward. On they went, ., 
followed -by the men who scrambled. out of the | 
_ trenches. On, still on, gathering momentum as they 
went, until with a terrific grinding and crashing 
hey struck the barbed-wire entanglements of the 











Via 


a; 





‘or the enemy was Bina: now, and a storm of shoe 
ag shell tore its way as the American ranks. 














ea 


"PICTURE BOYS on PRENCH BA TTLEFIELDS Run 






Pit) RUA Pe ek 
shy 
wate 


Bae it was oie Basher Seer meee ad they 
3 worked away feverishly. They had had a good 
view of that first great onset of the tanks crashing — 
through, but after that the infantry had got in the © 
way and the tanks were lost sight of. But they — 
knew that the breaking through was only the first 
step in the activities of the tanks, and they were 
desperately anxious to see them in the actual fight 
ing. 
“Come along, fellows,” said Blake. “Let’s fous 
low them up. We've had plenty of pictures of in) 
fantry actions, but per ¥ s the tanks we want t tos 
see. Let’s get a move on.” — o 
| They pickea up the camera and tripod and tok ee 
lowed in the wake of the charging troops. They 
stumbled over dead bodies and skirted the edge of — 
shell holes, while bullets whistled past them and 
shells exploded so near them as to cover them with | 
dirt. But they were so on fire with excitement that . 
they paid no attention to these messengers of — 
-wounds and death, and in a little while had worked — | 
their way through the lines to a point HE they 
~ could once more have the tanks i in full view. | ny 


breathlessly, as they dropped o a shell hole. oe 
offered them some slight 1 measure Poe preteen: ue 


CHARGING WITH THE TANKS 69 


The tanks were dashing here, there and every- 
where, scattering enemy groups, smashing pill 
boxes, straddling trenches, which they raked 
throughout their length with a withering fire from 
their machine guns, charging batteries whose crews 
scattered in consternation as the monsters bore 
down upon the guns. 

“Quick!” panted Blake in mad excitement, as with 
trembling fingers they started the film to register- 
ing. “Don’t let’s lose a bit of this. It’s the greatest 
chance of our lives. It will make the finest film 
we've yet secured.” 


CHAPTER VIII 


AY CLOSE CALL ‘ 


LiKe two gigantic cath tee locted EE ee : 


_ two armies HH from side to bn eth with | e 


. lied too much on size and they had overdone it. | 
Ny 










Pe CLOSEMCALL 8 ar 


_ “There goes one of ours though!” exclaimed 
Mac. “See, it’s tumbling into that trench.” 


“It’s going in of its own accord. It means to clean 


Bel io aaa ie abe 


ne 
ot 


_ out of it already and running like rabbits.” 


grimly. “Listen to the rattle of the tank’s machine 
guns! I have a hunch that Soe is an unhealthy 
place for Heinies just about now.’ 
“Let’s creep forward and take a look at it,” said 
Joe. “What do you say, Blake? Are you game?” 
“T don’t take a, dare,’ answered Blake. “Sure, 
Pll go. Mac, you keep at that crank till we get 
: back. ee 
Macaroni es See a little under his breath, but 
_ obeyed, and the moving picture boys, taking advan- 


Sane en, SO Ree he ae ete eae 
pees ace Fe ied sins aX 


eS ey BOR ge 
= : 


a ral Siete Te ae 


the trench which was only a few yards away. 


ae SS eee 
Pes ea a) 
x » ‘ 


S they saw the tank, having fulfilled its errand, go 
4 the slope of the farther side. 

Right in front of it lay a wounded German ofc 
whom the boys could see by his uniform was a 
- major. He saw the tank approaching him and tried 
—to-crawl out of its way, but was unable to and fell 





“Tt isn’t falling in, you boob!” exclaimed Joe. 
out the trench. See, the Germans are scrambling» 


“They show good judgment,” remarked Blake 


tage of what shelter they could find, hurried’ toward — , 


Through the smoke that hung like a cloud over it, : 










AF ae 


becay 





roe 


7 PICTURE BOYS ONT FRENCH 1 PTL 


ue boys were horror-stricken, for they expected 
to see him crushed to death beneath the tank. 
But someone in the tank had observed the wound- 
ed man and the tank suddenly stopped, the door ‘ 
at the side opened and two men sprang out, 
lifted up the wounded officer and handed him 
in. The door closed and the tank resumed its oe 
climb. ay 
~The boys breathed a sigh of relief. ae 
_“There’s the American of it!” ingens Blake. | 
“Our boys don’t war against wounded men.” 
“Yes,” agreed Joe. “Do you think a German a 
tank commander would have done the same? Pe 
haps he would, but I wouldn’t bet on it.” ao 
“T think you’re right,” said Blake. Pe ty 
let’s get back to Mac.” | Leases J 
They crept back and reached the crater in com- Lah 
parative safety, much to the relief of Charlie, who — 
had faithfully kept the crank turning, whenever a 
‘worth-while scene was enacted. And it had not iene . 
the easiest matter in the world, for it had to be — 
_ turned at just a certain rate of speed and Mac was ’ 
- boiling like the others with the excitement of the 
fighting. . pees 
- The battle in that part of the field was now neatly 
over. The first lines had been captured by 
the Americans and the ous was Pra a: 


— <——Teee eS 


caf think we ’d better get on further bean ” judged © 
Blake, as the tide of battle receded. “We want to. 


be vision Pint the Reeietis had eee ate a fight 


Bie 


and which was advancing i in close ranks for a coun- 
ter-attack. 

But the Americans nia not await the shock of | 
hem < onset. ‘Their bload was up and de started — 


guess, a Blake, as they hastily ae up'the cam- 
‘era. “Those Germans haven't learned their lesson 2 
it abd they’re coming after more. ee re a 

: is for punishment. BAe 5 / Ay 

r pet ay oes Hebe they’ re Tooking for,” 





























said Joe. ae a focus on the tanks, Mac. There a 
they go now.’ m3 
i They seem to ‘bé on are ctitined Mac i in mn 
sudden alarm. “Look at the smoke coming from a 
them.” | a) tS 
“Fire nothing!’ snorted Blake. “They’re just a 
throwing out smoke screens. That hides our boys — . : 
behind them from being seen by the sinha and 
the Heinie batteries don’t know where to aim.’ 
bah Great billows-of black smoke were coming from — 
ae : the tanks as they ploughed their way forward. It — 
Mg hy! spread out behind them until the whole conta 
seemed to be enveloped in the gloom of a forest 
fire. And the illusion was heightened by the a 
_ of flame that began now to shoot through the smoke — 
as the machine guns of the tanks again came in ac- _ : 
tion against the gray-clad ik Sees yin sae 
were advancing. | a 
“That means death to the Huns, and it ‘means _ 
death to the pictures, too,” said Blake, his profes . : 
sional instinct coming to the fore. a 
“We can’t see very much through that rote i 
admitted Joe. “But it means the saving of lots oft 
_ American lives, and that's S Wana! all the seta in : 
the world.” ¢ La th 
bo is you z are,’ 


Ahgret soe 








Lae feos Cee ee fee ie ae eZ SD A. aed S af ied ee ea ee ed ee 
AO A PISS UUM ce MLE RS Seat Alc eur cai Ge BEE wie oa 
as Ye nts th SER CL Se Ue Ee de oe 

eR A: lay Oe ra ies ' ’ id 3 ; 



















lad a | i) 
: soldier where before that time they'd lost thirty- 
six. There’s many a-bullet rattling against the sides 
of the tanks that would find a doughboy’s heart if 
the tank wasn’t there. See the way the boys are 
following behind the tanks! They’re like so many 
uits of armor.” : ye 
“Well, how about the pictures?” put in Charlie. 
“T might as well stop if we’re going to stay here. 
’'m not registering much élse than smoke.” 
- “On we go then,” said Blake. “Come sone 
We'll be in Berlin soon if we keep on the move.” 
_ Once more they moved forward, but now on ae" are ‘ol 
count of the smoke the going was more difficult ioe 
than before. ‘There was hardly any breeze stir- Be: 
ring, and the smoke, instead of drifting away, hung come 
heavy on the field. Before them they could see a: 
groups of men engaged in desperate combats, while a 
the tanks, like great bulls, plunged here and there, 
‘their machine guns working rapidly and doing tre- > ae 
mendous execution. Lee 
Stumbling along over the shell-torn ground, ‘the 
= sought a ony where they could command a 



















Hee sudden oath or a German bHeee loomed up before! 
; their startled eyes... | Pin 

Blake looked about him a inieciod” af 

“Here comes a tank! he yelled. “Let’s run to 
meet it!” 

They set off in its direc while bullets feu 
the pursuing Germans whistled about their ears. 
The tank was coming toward them as fast as the. 
ponderous machine could travel, although to the 
boys it seemed to be crawling. But its bullets were 
swift, if its pace was comparatively slow, and it. 
soon opened fire on the boys’ pursuers, who were 
beginning to waver as they saw the nuees monster 
bearing down upon them. © one 

The moving picture boys were almost brenthleae 
from running, but they just managed to get on the 
further side of the tank as a volley of Mae rat- : 
tled against the side of it. | ae 

“Safe for the time, anyway,’ ’ gasped Blake, as he 
~ sank down on the ground, still holding in his arms” 
the box of precious films that in all the excitement 
he had not forgotten to bring along. gare ie: 
». SNo, we're not!” cried fie) > Here comes a Ger- z 
man aeroplane with its guns all going like mad. . : 
They looked in the direction he indicated, and saw 
a big plane swooping down toward them with sheets t 
of flame spouting from the four ae ote the new=- 
Wa eat German Blanes carried. ey 












But just then the door in the side of the tank 
opened and a man leaped out, whom, though he was 
covered with sweat and grime, they recognized as 
‘their tank acquaintance of a few days before. 
_ “Come in,” he cried. “Quick!” 

_ They needed no urging. They bundled inside in 
a confused heap and the closing of that door was 
the sweetest music they had ever heard. 
; It was not a comfortable place. They were hor- 
bi. cramped for room, for almost every foot of 
Brace was occupied by machinery or the sweating 
bodies. of the crew, who were busy in controlling the 
machine and operating the guns. The rattling of 
“bullets against the metal sides sounded like a boiler 





factory i in full blast and the lurching of the tank | 
made them feel seasick. But it meant life and 
safety and freedom, and no haven of refuge was_ 


4 


ever more grateful. — 
be Gradually the tumult grew less, the bullets ceased 


crashing against the sides and the crew itself de- 


sisted from firing. The battle was evidently over, 


“or nearly so. Before long the tank stopped, and the | | 


3 door was thrown open, letting in a draught of the 
cool September air that had never seemed so re- 


Pechidg The boys piled out, together with the 








rew, and their relief and delight, can be imagined fe ys 
as they saw ee Fendly uniforms all around them ands d743 
ate . ae 





COP a 








but he waved off their shania! with a Sirideal grin. 
” “AN in the day’s work,” he remarked, as he. 
stepped into the tank to drive it back to his quar- 

ters. “By the way, how do you think the old aie 
behaved to-day?” | i 
“Fine and dandy,” bape Blake enthusiastically. 
“It saved our lives,” declared Joe. | eo 

ie hat acrenate would have finished us if you 
hadn’t taken us in,” said Macaroni. “What bat ‘ 

of that aeroplane, anyway?” 

“I didn’t see,’ was the reply. “We might | haat) 
winged it ourselves if it had been flying a Titde: 
_ lower, but as it was we couldn’t elevate our guns: 
enough to reach it. Well, so long and good Tuck” “fi 
and the big tank lumbered away. Many San 
oo Ee Welve had many a close call,” cared Blake, 

after they had watched the tank out of sight, “but | 
if you ask me, the closest of big was the one we had 
)) to-day.” | TOC ae eh eran! 






CHAPTER IX 


_AN EXCITING STRUGGLE 
4 On a sunny morning a few days later, Blake and 
Joe were watching the maneuvers of a small fight- 
ing plane high aloft in the clear sky. The machine 
was one of the newest and best of the recently 
delivered American planes, and great things were 


expected of it, although the little wasp-like flyers. - Z 


had had small chance as yet to demonstrate theres: 


ae with more than ordinary interest, saree 
the pa hans ou with Ua it mounted and its 


bac ied Blake iccitjeally. “Td He to see om 
ow i it would act in a brush with o one of those new fe 





















no PICTURE Bors on W FRENCH Be TTLE 
Joe with sudden excitement. hook, Blake! isn’t 
that a Boche plane sneaking out of the cloud?” 
“Of course it is!” exclaimed Blake, catching his 
| friend’s excitement. “And he’s going to attack, sure | 
-as shooting! Just look at that!” and he jumped — 
from one foot to the other in his agitation. | 
As the moving picture boys strained their eyes 
upward in a fascinated gaze, they saw a large Fok- 
ker aeroplane emerge fully from a fleecy white 
‘cloud, in which it had evidently been lurking. It _ 
appeared to be at a higher altitude than the small — 
American plane whose pilot was evidently still in | 
ignorance uf the peril that threatened him. aa 
In their excitement, the boys forgot the pilot was _ 

_ far beyond reach of their voices, and they gesticu- 
lated frantically and shouted words of advice and 
warning. 3 
But now ‘the American seemed to have become — i 
aware of his danger, for the boys saw him take a 
sudden swoop and dive and then mount steadily — 
upward, evidently trying to climb above his enemy, _ 
and thus be in a superior attacking position. Even 
at that distance, the boys could faintly hear the 2 ‘ 
staccato voices of the machine guns of the two aero ‘ 
planes, as each one endeavored | to put his adversary 
_ out of the fight. | 

But the American ne had been conceielle 


. a 


canta 


built to outclimb any other macnn in GRISTEDCEs . 











and it well repaid the careful thought and skill that 
had been expended in its make-up. Swift and 
a straight it flew, pointing its nose almost directly up- 
_ ward. The German machine was also climbing at 
: the best speed of which it was capable, but it was 
_ no match for the American. Soon the boys were 
convinced that the little machine had gained a su- 
ee altitude, although they knew that a person 
on the ground could not judge this with any degree 
of accuracy. 


. +om 
eg iy § 
va se 


_ Blake. He’s pointing downward now, and that 
"means that he’s higher than the Boche and giving 


A ‘AN EXCITING STRUGGLE histo 


> “T guess that Ay gnldes boy is all there,” shouted — 
p Jee, his voice higher than usual. ‘Just look at him, 


- 


3 ‘ ; 
oh im a dose of machine-gun bullets. Ah-h!” he 


ended, and stood silent. 

A thin cloud of dark smoke arose from the Ger- - 
man aeroplane, was blown aside by the wind, and 
a then rose again, thick and black this time and shot 
: ‘through with angry tongues of de -red flame. 
a _ “He’s afire!’ breathed Blake, ‘and that means 





ae 5 


ia that he’s done for.” _ : ; | 
Fi Indeed, it seemed that the German mist be» 
j a doomed as his machine shot earthward, a mass one 


pa 


id 
a 
BS 


- smoke and flame ‘Streaming out behind it. But 
suddenly a black speck was seen to distdoane itself — 





i Af y 
a ae 
e 


vibes 


} < 


a from: the eed peaee machine and throw him- ma 





with a good deal of a bump and the boys | : 


aici | “his nerve-shattering sei ihy: nee taken 








“That’s better than burning to’ dene anyway,” q 
muttered Blake. “It’s what I would do myself if — a 
{ were caught that way. The poor fellow will be a 
unconscious, anyway, by the ‘time he touches the a 

| 
q 
| 


he 
ey 


ground and he’ll never know what killed him.” | 
Even as he spoke, however, a great white cloth 
swelled suddenly out a few feet above the falling — 
German’s head, and his descent lost something of 
its speed. He still descended rapidly, but not with 
the sickening rush of his former headlong flight. 
“A parachute!” exclaimed Joe. “He'll save him- 
self after all.” | | Bee: 
“Looks that way,” coneatas Blake. “But,” he - 
‘continued grimly, “while he’ll probably save his life, 
- it’s up to us to see that he becomes a guest of Uncle - 
Sam, even if an unwilling one. I should judge that e 
he'll land about a quarter of a mile from here, and 
we want to be Johnny-on-the-spot bana ip comes vi 
down.” | Poh a 
Joe needed no argument to convince ‘nie of the: : \ 
advisability of this, and the two raced off at ia nie 
speed. The German was very near the ground now — ny ; 
and they redoubled their efforts, and to such ae 
purpose that they reached the Boche almost at 
the instant he struck the ground. He landed — 


2h 








had no trouble in making him a prisoner, as) aM | 
i all Y 













“Now, my aviator friend, I guess that draws ay 
ci stings,” Fematked Blake, YAnd:now, forward’ ae 






Denae: the victorious American plane had 
4 escended and now skimmed along close over their 
eads. It had been the intention of the airman to 





em, but he understood their meaning. He did not 
scend ioe further, but skimmed a ey 





uke apy he shrugged his shoulders and fll into 0 step with hi - 
aes captors. 1 
“You're right we’re too much for you,’ said 
Blake, “and it won’t be long before all your pals 
and your dear old Kaiser will find it Ott, toda ioe 

_ The Boche scowled darkly but said nothing fur- 
ther, and the others marched on in silence, the boys’: 
otha minds still busy with the memory of that wnine > 
flashing duel in the clouds. 4 
“That parachute stunt is pretty good at ‘that, 
though,” conceded Joe, voicing his thoughts. ee 
wouldn’ t have given a plugged nickel for the chances 
of our German friend when T saw that his Plane 
was on fire.” | ie 
“Nor I,” agreed his friend. “Buta as it has given Ws 
the pleasure of his congenial company I’m ee Se) 
he had it along.” q 
_ All attempts to overcome the sullen silence of 
their prisoner proved fruitless, and they reached. 
| their destination without having had a further word 
Lp from him. ea 4 
M Once at headquarters, ney turned the ferme 
over to the officers in charge, at the same time giv- 
ing a brief account of the battle in the air and the 
circumstances attending the capture. — Tenses 
“Yes,” said one of the officers when they 
finished. “Almost all of them on Ly Ow. 


























AN EXCITING STRUGGLE 85 


recover the one this fellow had. They’re made of 
the finest kind of material and there may be some 
wrinkles about them that our people will like to 
study.” 3 

He thanked the moving picture boys for the serv- 
ice that they had rendered and turned the prisoner 
over to guards who led him away. 

As the boys proceeded slowly to their quarters, 
they went over again the details of the exciting 
event in which they had been glad to take part. 

“Tf we'd only had the camera handy,” remarked 
Joe regretfully. 

“Yes,” agreed Blake, “it’s always the biggest fish 
that gets away. What acrackerjack that film would 
have been!’ 


CHAPTER X . 
CHRISTOPHER CUTLER PIPER TURNS UP 


“GEE, I’m worn to a rag!’ moaned Charlie, sink- 
ing to the ground during a lull in the work and 
mopping his brow. ‘“‘When it comes to actual fight-— 
ing it’s all right but this steady grind get’s a fel- 
low’s goat.” 

“Oh, stop your grouching,” sang out Blake cheer- 
fully, busying himself with the machine. “Wait 
till one of those playful little bombs bursts under 
your nose and scatters its cunning little splinters all 
over the place. Then you'll have something to 
worry about.” 

‘On the contrary,” retorted Charlie, getting pain- 
fully to his feet, “it seems to me that under those cir- 
cumstances nothing would ever worry me more. 
Hey, look here,’ he added suddenly, pointing to 
where a small group of persons could be seen ap- 
proaching. “Isn’t there something familiar about — 
that whole party, especially the fellow in the — 


middle?” : | 
86 | 








i “Middle of what?” queried Blake, still busy with 
his machine and somewhat impatient of the inter- 
_ “Oh, next week, of course,” Charlie was begin- 

ning scornfully, when Joe, who had come up behind 

them unnoticed, broke in with a yell. | 
_ “Well, if here isn’t the whole moving picture 

Scowd !’ he shouted joyfully. ‘And in their midst, 

“the well-beloved face of our old pal, a, OEE het 

“this j is luck!” 

“Luck,” repeated Macaroni dolefully, as they 
went to meet their friends. “Tf ‘you call meeting 
a wet-blanket like C. C. luck 
_ “Well, for the love o’ Mike!’ cried C. C. him- 

“self, catching sight of the boys. ‘What ill—I mean, 

- good—wind blew you hither?” 
“After that greeting we know it’s C. C.,” grinned 
Blake, amid a chorus of greetings and exclamations 
from Miss Lee, Miss Shay and other members of 
the moving picture company. After a moment or 
two more of friendly conversation, they passed on 
to meet Mr. Hadley, all, that is, except Christopher 
— Cutler Piper, alias C. C., who lingered to speak to 

_ the boys. 

“Going to cheer up the boys in the trenches ?” Joe 

_ demanded of the gloomy comedian. : 
“Say,” protested Charlie, “haven't the poor fel- 

lows enough to stand, what with liquid fire and 














- poison gas, without teeing Cc 
Have a heart!” | | b 

“Even Hun kultur couldn’t think up BA worse | 
torture than that,” agreed! {Oe, vse . 

C. C. turned a grieved and Protesting, eye upon 
them. | \ a 4 

“Say, that’s a fine reputation you're giving me,’ 
the gloomy comedian protested. “Here I come in 
a spirit of self-sacrifice, to offer my services to the 
government, only to have my best enie turn upon 4 
me like vipers in my bosom re Be 

“Gee, how does it feel?’ asked Blake in. mock 
awe, while even:C. C. grudgingly vouchsafed a 
gloomy grin. | oh: 

“But seriously,” added Blake, as they funiiet andl 
made their way slowly toward the deserted picture 
machine, “what did bring you to this neck of the 
woods, C. C.? Last I heard of you, you were shor 
ing off to admiring crowds on Fifth We LEAS 

“Ah, but duty called,” sighed C. C., “and I left 
-my homeland for the dangers of the trenches. You 
surmised correctly, Macaroni—I have come to cheer 7 
up our pe mehene men.’ : hae ee 

Pen pee... 
interrupted him. 
“What's your line?’ He oe wath 
_ “Going to do a ballet, or imitations? at 


“Worse and worse and more of oe 


4 


iW 








HRISTOPHER CUTLER PIPER.) 1 80 


af 


Blake, Bch. “Can't you see it—old C. C. 
n a spirited imitation of the dying codfish? Going 
to fet us tn-or it, C, C2’ 
“Yes, I can just see myself,” enanered Mr. Piper 
bitterly. “The soldiers appreciate my talents, 
anyway. I entertained a crowd of them at 
the Y. M. C. A. last night and you should have 
heard the applause. Ney, it shook the whole 
building.” | 
~ “Don’t kid yourself, old man,” cried Joe airily, 
“That was a bomb that shook the building and as 
for the applause—well, I’ve heard that life in the 
trenches sometimes affects men that way—shell 
shock, you know, and such things.” | 

“All right,” sighed poor C. C. resignedly. “Scoff 
ae you will—I’m used to it. Only some time when 
a bomb alights upon my devoted head and there’s 
a large amount of nothingness left where I once 
stood, you may be sorry. But never mind, I never 
“expected to be appreciated.” 
4 The comedian wandered off and then the boys 
lost no time in hunting up the girls who had acted 
“so. many parts in the dramas the company had 
re | 
. “Awfully glad to oe you!” cried Blake. 
“Best thing ever,” came from Joe. 
“We're glad, too,” cried the girls. 
Quite a talk followed. In the midst of this Mr. 
























edie came aes up in ae a ling + way with 
both hands extended in hearty greeting to the boy 4 
They grasped his hands with hearty liking, for thei: 
_telations with their employer had always been of 
_ the most cordial kind in the years they had been to 
gether. a 
“Well, well,” said Mr. Hadley, neauine upon’ | 
them both. “Pm cheneee to see you two boys - 
again and to find that you’re safe and sound, in spite 
of all you’ve been through.” 3 t 
“You're no more glad han we are to see » you, 2 
replied Blake. “But this is a surprise. We hadn’t — 
, the least idea that you were coming to this side of | 
sa tes stne bis pomdsowi > , M 
“I made up my mind in a hurry,” replied Mr. 4 
“ _ Hadley, “and when I had decided, I found that a 4 
_--Ietter wouldn’t reach you any sooner than I would | 
get here myself. So here I am and most of the 
company with me. Got over without any trouble, 4 
though one time we did get a GEOyS ofa perseeune 
and we had a few anxious minutes.” i‘ 
i “Did you get all the films we sent you! ” ast ; 
Blake, with whom the thouert of his Lata vi was y 
always present. ee 
ne “Most of them,” replied the protien “thotgt 
two lots you mentioned in your letters never arrived. 











ae 
“a 
















“That s too ea ue Vat tee “How did 5 you like 
hose you did get?” 

“They were fine and dandy,” replied Mr. ae ke 
with enthusiasm. “They made a big hit with the 


_ public, and they were especially popular with the 


boys in the training camps. I had a letter from 
4 the War Department, and they spoke in the warmest 


“4 


; way about them. But I mustn’t be giving you boys 


a swelled head or you'll be striking me for a raise 


in salary,” he concluded with a laugh. 
_“What’s the big idea in bringing the company 


4 over ?” asked Blake. 
, 


ment. 


ness man, but hang it all! ve got some red blood 


in my veins just as you young cubs have, and I 


bring over some of the stars and go through the 
camps giving entertainments and cheering up 
the boys. We'll make a tour of the hospitals, 


4 
e 
i thought it would be the least that I could do to 
too. You know the girls and the comedians are 


4 
not only movie actors, but most of them have 


been on the regular stage, and they can sing 
and dance and give skits and imitations. They 
* 

: were all agi and Gee to come along to do their 








. Or cf 


Mr. Hadley showed a slight trace of embarrass- 


4 “Well, ” he said rather hesitatingly, “I’m a busi- 





: “Ty will io the boys t more € good of ‘med 
added Blake. uN oh 
“We'll hope so,” said Mr. Hadley” «qf it does 
we'll be fully repaid. But now to business,” he con-— 
tinued, with a return of his usual brisk manner. q 
“I’ve just had a talk with your captain and he tells — 
me there’s something brewing. He’s got wind of 
a coming attack and he thinks it’s going to be a 
heavy one. It struck me that it will be a dandy — 
chance to get some very stirring films. Are you ua 
game?” : 
“You bet!” they replied in unison, the gleam of 
anticipation in their eyes. : 
*You’re like the war horse that sniffs the battle 
from afar,” laughed their employer. “You've rot q 
your nerve right with you. And it will take lots of — 
nerve. It’s one thing to stand up to a party of — 
-Boches with your bayonet in your hand, but yon 
fellows may have to stand up to them unarmed. 
It’s risky work,” he said hesitatingly, “but I know — 
you fellows won’t back out si uh a 
“Back out!’ exclaimed ie hotly. “The only 
thing I want to know is why we're wasting. time ‘ 
_ standing here.” ae 
Peay added Blake eagerly, “let? s get at them.” ‘ 
“AML right,” said Mr. Hadley with an aden : 
and satisfied glance. “That’s the answer I expected 
to hear. Now then remember that va re © going > 


‘a 
a 












STOPHER CUTLER PIPER eon 


ake t the best, Bite we've had yet. We've gottoget = 
them, but what’s just as important we’ve got to keep 
them. Hang on to the films after you get them as 
though your lives depended on it. The Boches 
Nee _ would give a lot to get hold of them, but you fellows 
a are smart enough to double cross them. Go to it, 

_ boys, and good luck go \.ith you.” 

With a wave of the hand he left them, and the | 

- moving picture boys quickly got their equipment = 

_ ready and reported to their captains who directed = 

them to that part of the front where the fighting | 
_ was likely to be hot. Then with hearts aflame they a 
dropped into the trenches beside the grim fighting te 

Benet, ayers simply waiting,—waiting for ee 
Ae moment when their taut muscles would be ree 
leased, when they would burst in a trained, inspired 
— flood over the barrier of wood and dirt to meet and 
Ee the hordes of Huns approaching them. 

Past these rigid, dust-stained heroes the boys went 
to a vantage point from which they could take pic- 
ures of the coming battle. ea 
7 Walking, stumbling, half-blinded He the cilakee nee. 
| from inne shells, half-deafened by the thunder 
of the guns, the boys hurried on to the appointed 
— spot. . | 
’. Bere, ‘their fingers trembling with excitement, 
faces burning, eyes glowing, the boys set up the ma- 


es eres 5 


Se 
~~ 


Ss 


ana ath Si Re 
oO 





Bes ear 








94 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


chine and made ready for the greatest moment of : 
their lives. . 4 

Mr. Hadley had spoken truly. It was one thing © 
to await the onslaught of the enemy, bayonet in 
hand, and quite another to stand there unarmed, 
calmly taking pictures of the fight when any mo- 
ment a bursting shell might blow them into eternity. 

But they had been face to face with death before 
and had come through alive. Their jaws set hard 
and they looked calmly straight ahead. If need be 
they could die like men. 


CHAPTER XI 
THE STORM BREAKS 


“IT WONDER how long they’re going to keep up 

these fireworks?” Joe shouted close to Blake’s ear. 
“If one of those shells happens to come our 
way——" 
_ “Then there’d be a few less movie operators in 
the world,” remarked Blake, with an assumption of 
coolness and indifference that he was quite far from 
feeling. 

“YT wonder how the world would get along with- 
out such experts as we are,” grinned Joe. 

“Say, I bet the Huns are getting ready to charge,” 
interrupted Charlie. ‘The bombardment’s slacken- 
ing up. Listen!” 

Then suddenly, without warning, the deafening 
uproar stopped and in its place a silence so intense 
that the boys could hear the beating of their own 
hearts. 

It was the silence that precedes the storm. The 

95 




















a Baniearcineds had we the work @ and no 


~ boys waited. Then fiercely across the open space, 
the gray flood leaped at them. On, on they came, 


strain no longer. Then—the tension snapped. 


| demented. . 


fellows, I wish somebody’d give me a bayonet. I’ve 


it was up to the infantry to finish it. 
Hardly daring to breathe, the moving picture : 


while grim boys in khaki waited, bayonets poised, 
waited for the word of command that would hurl 
them, unleashed hounds, into the fray. 

Down upon them rushed the German hordes until 4 | 
it seemed that human nature could stand the terrific 4 












Up over the sides of the trench, like an avenging 
fate, swarmed our boys, yelling, shouting, racing, — 
on, on to meet the helmeted figures in gray, the © 
fighting blood of their ancestors carrying them in- 
evitably to victory. a 
_ “Go it, you fellows, go it!” ” Blake was yelling, be- 
side himself with fierce joy—all the time ape 
ally taking pictures. q 

“They can’t stop you!” Joe was Lalas equally 






























_ “Get to them, give it to ’em, wallop ’ em!” Maca | 
roni added, almost weeping in his excitement. “Gee, — 









got to stick one of those fat Heinie’ aR. look 

at ’em—they’ve got ’em on the run ae 
“They're doing it! They’re doing it!” "yale 

Blake. ities re pushing thea back- 


































On Ao Berlin! !” shouted Joe, madly fae the As 
achine. “Only a few hundred miles, boys, and Pa 
only Germans to stop you. You can’t miss it——" = F 
_ “Now look at them,” Blake interrupted. “The = 
_ Huns are breaking han 
_ “They’re broke,” agreed Macaroni, ungrammatic- 
ally but joyfully. “Gee, fellows, these are going to f 
be some pictures we’re taking re Shee 
“But we've got to follow ’em up,” Blake inter- 
Be sited “We can’t let them get away from us, fel- 
lows. Think of the picture 
_ “But we don’t want to take any chances with the 
films we've already got,” cautioned i “Tf we - a 
should lose them——” a 














a 
f 
‘va 






















a 


~ “Never mind _ that,” Bee ied Blake. “This is 
. too good a chance to lose. We'll make it a case of | 
‘double or quits. We've started this job and let's © he 
put it through to a finish.” __ Nae a 
 “There’s something in what Joe says,| though,” . 
put in Macaroni. “There’s no use ee what 

we've got ade ; 
But Blake and oe were already out in No Man’s 
Band and racing’ after the victorious army, aug 
Macaroni had nothing to do but follow. 
_ “Gee, I wish they’d leave well ee alone,” he 
grumbled as he ran. 

i It 1 was no easy progress that they made over that | 

ia shell-tortured earth, burdened with 


if 
1 








dhe Ome moving-picture varsoheeae and more tt 


once two of the boys had to stop to rescue a com= 


_ panion from a mud hole or extricate him from some 


barbed wire that had fastened upon his uniform. Tt 
was like the tugging of nameless things and shapes. 5 
in a nightmare. But their blood was up and it 
would have taken much more than things like these “ 
to divert them from their purpose. oe 

“Gee, those Germans went fast when they went, had } 
muttered Joe, as they struggled on foot by foot. 
cies) by the ee we catch up to them the fun 
will all be over,” grumbled Macaroni. “And we se 
have collected a few hundred scratches and several | 
pounds of mud to wk for it | ee 

“Oh, brace up,” said Blake cheerily. “There's 
no use sounding like a funeral when we ought to be 
hanging out the flags. Gee, just ue till Mec Had- 
ley sees these films. The finest ever.” 

“Tf he ever does,’ gloomed Mac. i‘ 

“Say, what'll we do to it?” queried Joe, ine re- . 
turning good humor. “If you don’t slip your 
grouch in about two minutes, Mac, we'll put bene 
a shell hole and sit on you till you’re dead.” 
“Gee, I’ve been sat on all my | life and I’m not : 

yet, t,” grinned Mac. “Go as far a as you se: i 





THE STORM BREAKS 99 


“Say, fellows, it looks to me as though there were 
a mighty big storm on the way,” he said, glancing 
up at the sky a little anxiously. “Of course it 
doesn’t make much difference to us, but I’d like to 
have these films stowed away in some safe 
place.” 

“Yes,” Joe agreed worriedly, “and we don’t seem 
to be any nearer our destination than when we 
started. I wish we could make out our position.” 

“Probably been traveling in circles,’ said Maca- 
roni, relapsing into his former gloom. “Now, we’re 
lost and anything may happen to the films before we 
get back in our lines again. We seem to have got 
into a blind alley some way. We've lost touch with 
the rest of the bunch.” 

For once the moving picture boys failed to rally 
him upon his gloomy misgivings, for they them- 
selves were a little uneasy. Evidently they had gone 
further than they meant and in their struggles with 
the bad going had gotten away from the direction 
of the main attack. 

What if they were really lost and a bad storm 
threatening? It would be a trying situation, and 
before they got through they might find that they 
were inside the German lines. 

Blake straightened up with sudden decision. 

“There’s only one thing to do now,” he said. 
“We've got to find some sort of shelter and wait 


| es, easy to find our way tothe Allied lines.” Mi 
_ “Maybe——” Mac was beginning, ahaa Tue in 
—terrupted him. i 
“T felt a drop,” he cried. “Whateger we do we ve 
got to do in a hurry. Forward mare Gs 9 ee 


—acry of triumph. 

“Here’s just the place!” ay yelled. “Come on ca 
fellows—it may not be exactly luxurious, but at Sie | 
it s dry.” My 

What he had found seemed to be a deceit joel 


out almost hidden in the foliage of the surrounding © 
woods. It was dirty and dark and not very sweet | 
smelling, but to the boys it seemed a sa haven 
refuge. patos 
hs “The storm can’t last; very caer oa Blake 
they settled themselves to wait with what patienc 
they could summon. ae at least a Ap nha 
hold of the films.” 3 aN 


Cees ing pessimism. “How den we know we haven't 1 wa 
dered around until we've gotten inside the Germ 
4 lines? Then some Heinie comes: snosninn aroul n 





THE STORM BREAKS 10]; 


The two boys glared at the despondent Charlie. 

“I say, Macaroni, old thing,” said Joe, assuming 
an elaborate drawl. “You might not suppose it, but 
you are really wearing on my nerves; you act like 
a second edition of old C. C.” 

Blake chuckled, and in the darkness Macaroni al- 
lowed himself a feeble grin. 

Outside the rain came down in torrents, a slash- 
ing, drenching, ugly rain that tested their powers of 
cheerfulness and made sitting still a torture. 

After a rather long interval of silence, Blake 
broke out impatiently: 

“Gee, what an ending to a great fight like that!” 
“It’s all my fault, too,” he grumbled. “If I hadn’t 
wanted to follow up the thing and dragged you fel- 
lows along, we'd be eating chow now—big, juicy 
mouthfuls of it a 

“Hey, cut it out, will you?” groaned Joe miser- 
ably. “It’s like burying a man up to his neck and 
then putting chicken pie just beyond his reach. Gee, 
I'll eat those films if we don’t get out of this pretty 
soon. My, how it pours!” 

“I’m going to take a look,” added Macaroni, ris- 
ing groaningly from his cramped position. “This 
sort of thing can’t keep up forever.” 

“Tt doesn’t have to,’ put in Joe disconsolately. 
“They say it only takes four days for a man to die 
of starvation.” 





ai Man won't aS quite as ‘ae as” | 
hah Blake reminded him. “I guess. even Mr. ‘Haley 
- wouldn’t want us to go that far for the sake of the 
_ profession. How about it?” This to Charlie as he 
came slowly back from the dugout entrance. “ag 
“Not a thing in sight but rain,” he answered dis- 
mally. “And I’m getting emptier and emptier by the 
minute. If it wasn’t so black outside ’d make a 
dive for it and take a chance of being potted full 
of holes. Anything’ s better than this.” : 
“You're getting worse than Gr Oe Macaroni,” Joe 
protested. “You're taking it for granted that we 
have sallied within the German lines and will get our 9 
_ pass to Kingdom Come if we stick our noses into 
the open. That pute us between the old Nick and 
-. the deep, deep sea.’ 
Di casten'! cried Blake suddenly, PH ae to his 
yy feet. “What's that?” 
Somewhere, close to them, came the deafening 
A) report of a cannon. Another and another mae 


wb he Germans!” cried Blake. a 
Aes ea rte Nailin | ” gasped Mae | ak 
“TI guess,” said Joe, slowly and grimly, “there c 
: : be no doubt but what—we' re in for, it! Po cee 





CHAPTER XII 


THE LOST FILMS 


here was no doubt about it. Charlie had been — 
ght. They had, indeed, wandered within the enemy - 
;and now—they were trapped! 
Then simultaneously they remembered the pre- 
iou films and turned to reénter the dugout. They 
ould make one desperate effort to get themselves 
the films back to safety. ce 


ish! Involuntarily they staggered back. Be. ; 


their horrified eyes the dugout was caving in! _ 
With a ag they t turned and ran, out into ihe i 

































WSiS _ sterity of heveee pieces of helt tearing up a 2, 
- ground before them in jagged, uneven rents, bullets 
fanning their foreheads with a ghostly breeze, never 
knowing what instant might be their last, they made 

_ their way—on, on in the direction of the Allied lines" 

and safety. eae 

They had covered about half the distance when a 
party of Huns saw them and vie shouts of delight 

started in pursuit. ft 
“Tt’s all up, I guess,’ ‘ene poor Macaroni, ‘as 
most at the end of his strength. “We might as well 

_ say—good-bye, fellows 

2 “Save your. breath,” Blake sisted cures 

‘at the same time slipping an arm through the 
Se s and dragging him on. “We re not dead 
EE ie 
On, on, through more eternities, while their breath 
came shorter and shorter, hundred pound weights 
seemed to drag at their limbs and even their splen~ 
: did courage felt the end was near. | Ais J 
Then came a sharp cadiamian from Joe andy 







: 











1 


ae they turned in time to catch him as he fell. ue 
“Let me go, fellows!” he cried, his face drawn 
cS with | eee “Pm done for. Save yoursel , 
Hurry: hay 
so oat ie a  Fbel: ‘ rasped Blake, gathering al , 
oo) Saat nce one last, ae effort and ae ; 















THE LOST FILMS 105 


ever his shoulder. “It’s going to hurt you, 
old man, but it—can’t—he helped. How about it, 
Mac?” 

“I’m all right,” panted Charlie, gallantly, finding 
new strength from the great emergency to fight on. 
“Come on,—we must be—pretty near fe 

The nightmare of that struggle! Blake, stagger- 
ing under his heavy burden, kept from falling again 
and again by Charlie’s arm—Joe, gritting his teeth 
to bear the agony in his leg and make no sound— 
the Germans coming nearer and nearer—almost upon 
them! 

“It’s no use,’ groaned Blake at last, the breath 
coming sobbingly through his teeth. “I—can’t—go 
on—Mac : 

Then suddenly Macaroni began yelling like a 
maniac. 

“Blake—they’re coming,” he panted, hysterically. 
“They re coming—the boys—in—kha-ki Three 
—cheers e 

Then, with eyes dimmed with exhaustion, 
Blake saw them, wave after wave of khaki-clad boys, 
springing from the mist like knights of deliverance. 
They were saved! 

Then, in the great reaction that followed, one 
thought struck Blake like a thunderbolt. They were 
safe—but the films were gone! 

“Well, you've done it now,’ commented Mac- 














-aroni, as, io ave Lee ‘the y 
“ed division Bie 


for his casket.” 

Blake laughed in spite be inte eden 
“Perhaps it was kind of thoughtless of me,’ 
Saat admitted. “But if I hadn’t told him, ee 
| ~ would. Say Mac,” he added, changing the subje 

Cae ‘we’ve got to ae those films back som 

way.” i 
 “Pve heard that joke hetare ns responded Chart : 
 crossly. “We've got about as much chance of 
rounding up those films as we have of capturing the 
Kaiser single-handed, and you know it. Besides, 


i they were probably ruined when the dugout 


“I suppose so,” sighed Blake. had i: ee se 


. 


: _ there's ie use crying over sre milk, Boek | 


only: 
“Yes, “I know,” Macaroni finished ‘ ee 





THE LOST FILMS 107° 


to see, The light was just right—which is nothing 
short of a miracle—and all that sort of thing. But 
what's the use of making our young lives miserable 
over it? Perhaps you remember the little ditty that 
runs something like this: ‘What can’t be cured, 
must be borne with’—or words to that effect?” 

Blake laughed at him and felt better. 

“You're hopeless, Macaroni,” he summed up. 
“Anyway, I suppose when all’s said and done, we 
ought to consider ourselves the most fortunate 
fellows in the world for getting out of that scrape — 
with whole necks and enough life left in us to make 
a mess of.” 

“You said it,” agreed Charlie with emphasis. 
“Do you know what I did? Don’t laugh, because 
it was really a solemn occasion. The first mirror 
I could get hold of after reaching civilization, I 
used to scan my classic brow for signs of greying 
locks. Yes, I knew you’d laugh at me,” he added, 
sadly, “but such things do happen you know, and 
that last stretch across No Man’s Land was enough 
to turn your hair green.” 

“And you have to hand it to Joe,” added Blake, 
the light of admiration in his eyes. “We know 
from the condition his leg was in what he must 
have suffered, and yet not a word out of him. IL 
call that nerve!’ 

“You said it,” commented Chaite” again. “I 


SA li guess he aun throupn more tha the 


Ne ment 


together. Say,” he interrupted himself to a ex 
: citedly, “didn’t I tell you old C. C. would be right ‘ 
on the job? Gee, it’s lucky we came, or poor old 
_ Joe wouldn’t have a chance for his life.” - 
“Here come the girls, too,” Blake added, as thell 
two pretty leading girls of the moving picture | | 
company rounded the corner. “Looks as if Joe 4 
were going to have quite a reception.” a 
“Gee, now I know why he got all shot up,” Mac- | : 
aroni commented enviously. “It would be almost 
worth it, having pretty ladies bririging you bouquets 
and weeping on youn shoulder. Pardon mea mom f 
“Where are you sons queried Blake, grab ¥ 


bing him. 5 
“Leggo of me,” the Aeolian seat lad 


patiently shaking off the hand. “I’m going to find | / 


some accommodating Boche to cut me up. Want ae | 
come? Then the girls will bring, us flowers too.” — 
“No, thanks,” grinned Blake. “T’d rather at 
and let events take their course. They'll tees 
Me have enough chances before we get through.” 
“Hello boys!” greeted Miss Shay, as. they came 
within hailing distance. “I suppose Joe’s the ob- 
ject of interest with you as well as with us.” — 
“Lucky dog,” grinned Macaroni. “Some. fe 

ey can’t help being fort ii are 





THE LOST FILMS 109 


The girls laughed and Miss Lee added suddenly: 

“And here comes C. C.! Goodness, perhaps we'd 
better not go up just now. So much attention may 
make poor Joe worse.” 

“Please don’t leave us,” Blake implored. “We're 
counting on you to help keep C. C. in order. If he 
starts to tell Joe about all the poor doughboys who 
had to lose their legs for lots less hurts than the 
one he’s got, why it will be your cue to jump in with 
a spirited description of the latest dance step. — 
Don’t you get me?” 

“Perfectly,” laughed the girl; and a moment 
later they all entered the hospital together. 

Something about the smell of drugs and the 
thought of all the wounded boys who were 
enduring untold suffering for the sake of 
their country, sobered the young folks and they 
entered Joe’s ward in a rather serious frame of 
mind. 

But when the nurse led them to the white cot 
upon which their own particular patient was lying, 
they made a brave effort to regain their good spirits 
and greet him cheerfully. 

In this Joe helped them considerably. He favored 
them all with a cheerful grin, looking so altogether 
like himself in spite of all he had been through, that 
their hearts grew light again and they laughed and 
chatted with him merrily. 


me “So you went and made a Hei bt yourse 
_ Miss Shay, during a lull in the conversation. 
_ 9 "T wasn’t any: hero,” Joe disclaimed with since: 4 
modesty. “I didn’t get my leg shot up on purpose 
and it was Blake who did all the hard work—and 
Mac, too, giving se a helping rane If it hadn’ ke 
been for them ‘ 
“Nonsense,” broke in Blake cael: ple wa 
you that had the nerve, beiae lugged se like that 4 
with your leg dangling § 
“That reminds me,” C. C. broke i in Ingubriousy, 
“of a fellow ‘i 
“Oh, Joe, have you heard me latest ?”? Miss Sha 
broke in hastily, while C. C. looked astonished anc 
_ the others grinned appreciatively. “They say that 
after the war there’ s going to be a reaction, 
and? | | ts 
| “Say, what do you call this, anyway?” interrupte 
c C. in high dudgeon. “Breaking in on what a 
_ fellow is saying and never even saying ‘excuse me 


> his. coat deeve! coothinelne 

to play the good Samaritan cae ea 
©. “And T,broke in, CC. on trig diana N 

Ra trying to telt about he fellow that had ty 


9? 





THE LOST FILMS TIE 


“Say, cut it out, will you?” cried Macaroni indig- 
nantly. “Haven’t you got any sense, C. C.?” 

“Oh, let him rave,” interrupted Joe good-natur- 
edly. “The doc said my leg had been taken in 
time and Id be as good as ever in a couple of weeks, 
so I sha’n’t worry. The only thing that is worry- 
ing me,” he added, while a shadow crossed his face, 
“is losing those films. It was a shame.” 

“It sure was,” agreed Blake. “We'll never get 
any more like them. They were the best ever!” 

“Gee, they're at it again,’ sighed Macaroni. 
“Some way I’ll have to rescue those films—in self 
defense !” 


CHAPTER Xili 
A TEST OF PLUCK 
*T HEAR we're in for another big time.” 


It was three weeks after the unfortunate affair 
of the lost films and the moving picture boys were 


beginning to recover somewhat from their dis- — 


appointment, though the hope of ultimately recover- 
ing the films never for a moment left their minds. 
Joe, too, owing to his splendid constitution and 
the fact that his injury had not been as serious as 
they at first supposed, had recovered in a remarkably 
short time and was, as he expressed it, “once more 
game for anything.” " 
“What do you mean?” asked the latter in response 
to Blake’s statement. “More work at the front?” 
“Yes, if you want to call it work,’ answered 
Blake happily. “I call it the biggest kind of a lark.” 
“Come across, will you?” requested Joe some- 
what impatiently. “You have a habit of enjoying 
things all by yourself. What is it this time? More 


battle pictures?” 
112 





acs , 


A TEST OF PLUCK 113° 


“Yes,” answered Blake, thoughtfully chewing a 
_ piece of long grass. “Only this time our boys are 
going to do the attacking. Just small raiding par-- 
ties, I guess, more to get the lay of the land than 
anything else. Hello, whom have we here?” 

The exclamation was caused by the arrival upon 
the scene of Mr. Christopher Cutler Piper, gloom 
producer and disperser, and Charlie. 

“No one much,” said Joe disconsolately, in reply 
to Blake’s exclamation. ‘Gee, why does something 
always happen to take the joy out of life!” 

“T hope you don’t mean me,” said C. C., grinning 
with unusual good nature. “On the contrary, I have 
come for the express purpose of putting more joy 
into your young lives. Glad to see you up and 
around again so soon, Joe, old man,” he added, 
turning to the latter. “It was more than I ex- 
pected.” | 

“Or hoped?” added Joe, grinning. 

“There you go,” C. C. was protesting, when 
Charlie interrupted. 

“Do you know what was the main topic of con- 
versation on the way up?” he asked wickedly. 

“No. What?” they asked together while C. C. as- 
sumed an injured air. 

“How disappointed C. C. was in Joe for not doing 
what was expected of him and kicking off in a nice 
orderly manner,” replied Macaroni, enjoying C. C.’s 


oe eel to be considerate cree to 
legs.” 


_abashed. er 
y Seeing that a separate little war ose its own was - 
about to be started, Blake hastily intervened. ae 
© “See anything of Mr. Hadley: 2”? he asked of Mr.. 

_ Piper. “Said he’d be a in 1 half an hour and 


ground. [ Wonder what’s he idea.” Res 

“Captured by the Boches, maybe,” an a 
pe C., eg Ge “T told him he’d get his some ae , 
“There he is now,” ae Charlie; as Hie manage 
came hurrying toward them with a worried look on 
his face. “Gee, now I wonder what’ S dhe, He looks 
as if the war was lost.” he 


tance away he wade a megaphone of his hanids a n¢ 
shouted his question at them. oa 
“Are you fellows ready to start? a he wante l 
know. “We’ ve got just ten ‘minutes: to. get th 
before the party commences.’ 





‘Well, I suppose he makes the mistake of leaving 

nething to your Sa Satta ” remarked Blake. 
What a mistake,” sighed Joe. | 

efore the badgered Macaroni had time to an- 

r to either of these insults the excited Mr. Had- 
as upon them and issuing orders with the 
ity of lightning, 

Got your machine fixed, Blake—all the stuff 

y? That’s right. Now for some pictures to 


qT place those others. Come on, a little speed, boys. 


your nerve with you?” 
s this was his usual question before they went 
action, and as the moving pitcure boys consid- 


they had answered it effectively more | ia 


1 once, they made no reply now, only pre- 
d to follow the leader with all the Ce 
ible. | } 
feel like the babes i in the wood,” Charlie con- 


dina breathless undertone, as they hurried ‘one 


ee ae scene ior “T know not where “ Ee 


robably all end up in a hole in the Mie . he 


" eet ye 





Ged you fered 1 Sebiaee Macaroni ‘with. a 
palling candor. “I forgot all about you.” 

“Thanks,” said C. C. bitterly. “That’s all I g 
for trying 7 be a friend i in need.” 


attend the funeral.” ; 
“What’s the idea, oy queried Joe with j in 
terest. ai 
“Coming to catch a little Boche?” Blake added 
jocularly. ‘Put him in a cage and send him to bY 
some nice little French girl as a souvenir ?”’ ; 
“Well, say,” remarked C. C. with animation 


_ “That may not be aah a joke as it grea the ae 
_ turing part, anyway.” 

“Yes, better men: hay you have Re atts 
asec Charlie soberly. ek es say wonders nev 
cease.’ 

“How are you eoing to do it,C, C ” meet ve | 
with a grin. “Going to get a mouse hae and bait it 4 
with limburger?”’ é 
Say, what do you think?” C C. was beginni 


Veen for them . come up. hee 
“This work is something like the other.” . “he 
them, et ‘only that wae time our t Oys 





earl OF PLUCK [t7 


going to attack. It’s up to you to catch the start 
and then follow it up to the grand finish. I’m ex- 
 pecting big results.” 

“But suppose our boys get the worst of it?” 
Charlie suggested. “Suppose they have to retreat?” 

“Then you fall back with them, of course,” said 
Mr. Hadley impatiently, “and take your chance with 
the rest. But they won’t retreat. Now, are you 
ready?” 

“All ready,” they responded promptly and once » 
more went forward with all caution toward the 
trenches. 

There was no chance for light badinage now, or 
conversation of any sort. Silent as ghosts, the boys 
stole forward through the woodland. 

Exactly as they had done upon that former occa- 
sion, they slipped into the trenches and took their 
appointed places. C. C.,,exhibiting unexpected cour- 
age, took up his stand beside them. | 

Then, in a silence that strained every nerve to the 
breaking point, they stood and waited. 


CHAPTER XIV 
SURPRISING THE ENEMY 


“BeTTER beat it while the going’s good, C. C.,” — 
muttered Blake in an undertone. “This is apt to 
be a pretty frisky scrap and not much chance for a — 
man without a gun.” | 

“How about yourself?’ C. C. growled in return. 
“IT don’t see much gun and powder in yours, yet © 
you're sticking.” a 

“But I don’t see your game,’ Blake insisted. 


“We're here. for a purpose. But you—I don’t see ~ 


any reason for just giving your life away.” | 
“I’m not giving it away,’ snapped the gloomy ~ 
comedian. “I’m willing to sell it though, if some- 
body will just give me a chance at one of those baby- 
killers.” 
Blake looked sharply at C. C., for there was 2 
grimness about him that he had never seen before. 
But he ventured a last protest. 
“Remember you're a civilian, C. C.,” he warned. ~ 
“If you’re captured you're liable to be shot accord- — 
118 i. 





SURPRISING THE ENEMY 119 


ing to the laws of war. With us it’s different, for 
we're in a regular arm of the service. Why, even 
our lieutenant would chase you out of here if he 
noticed you.” 

“He’s too busy to notice,” said C. C. obstinately. 
“Anyway, I’m here now and I’m going to see what 
it’s like to go over the top with the boys. You just 
stick to your films and don’t waste your breath on 
me.” 

“All right,” replied Blake, and there was a new 
respect in his tone that the other had never heard 
before. 

Then it happened—the hoarse roar of the heavy 
guns laying down a barrage, Uncle Sam’s boys 
springing from the trenches and making their way 
through barbed wire and over yawning holes, call- 
ing to each other, urging on—ever on. 

The moving picture boys hurried hard on the 
heels of the fighting men, determined this time to 
get—and keep—the pictures, or die in the attempt. 

Suddenly, the headlong rush was halted. Almost 
at the first-line trenches the Germans had sprung 
out to meet the charge, and the deafening roar of 
hand-to-hand conflict swelled to a hideous clamor. 

The boys never retnembered afterward how they 
set up the machine and got the pictures, in fact, they 
were not at all sure that it had not been a hideous 
nightmare and they had dreamed it all. 


‘eine the worst of it, and our Beet: were anata } 
ready to fall back with the rest. Then the tide sud- 
denly turned and the Allied troops surged forward 
irresistibly, capturing the first-line trenches and 
sweeping on. 

‘With a glad shout, Blake and Joe and Charlie 
picked up the machine and films and started in pasy | 
suit. 
“Gee, this is the life!” cried Joe i ina voice hoarse ; 
from shouting. 4 

“You bet!” yelled Blake. | “These films ought to 
be great.” Na) 4 

“If we don’t lose them,” added Macau pessi- 
mistically. ae 


a 


“Guess the Rhine’s the limit now,” Joe was. ex 


as 


= 


—ulting, when they were halted once more by a des- 
perate counter-attack from the enemy. i 

Once more it seemed that the attackers must wre 1 
‘back beneath the fierce onslaught, but once more 


sheer nerve and grit carried them on and over tale 


most insurmountable obstacles. 


_ Step by step, inch by inch, the soldiers aneat th 
way forward, while behind them the moving picture — 
boys were writing down Harel the ae ) 


achievement. 


“Gee, if uky come give, me a os 4 





SURPRISING THE ENEMY 12! 


“I bet I could kill two Heinies while those fellows 
are killing one.” 

“Where’s C. C.?” yelled Blake, close in Joe’s ear. 

“Don’t know,” the other answered in the same 
“manner. “Haven’t seen him lately. Hope the old 

boy hasn’t got his.” ; 

They had not much time for conversation, for 
once more the boys were sweeping forward, faster 
and faster as the enemy lost its grip. 

“Gee!” shouted Charlie, “guess maybe you knew 
what you were talking about, Joe, old man. It sure 
does look like the Rhine this time. Say, wouldn’t I 
like to be in on the finish!” 

‘But the Rhine was still several hundred miles 
away when the victorious army was finally halted. 
Five miles had been covered in that brilliant dash 
and everyone was hilarious. 

Of course, there were many who had dropped 
along the way, many who would never smile again, 
but they had died gaily, gloriously, for the cause of 
justice and of right. Looking on their calm, young 
faces, who would not rather envy than pity them? 

“It’s pretty tough, just the same,” Charlie was 
saying soberly, as some time later the three friends 
made their way toward the mess kitchen to receive 
their very much needed portion of food. “If a 
fellow’s got to die, I suppose that way’s as good as 
any. But—this world’s a pretty interesting place 


; a P PICTURE BOYS ON FRE s 


, a Nee after all, and I woueat t faneke ‘ad spending 
ny threescore and ten on board the old Sas T sa 


_ what have we here?” eye ee | 
His exclamation was causea by their tidarh cor 
ing upon an excited group of doughboys, the cau 
of whose excitement ai could not immediate? 
discover. ae 
They elbowed their way Hi seen to an inside po- 
sition, however, and there, face almost purple with, 
indignation, hands wildly gesticulating, who should 
they see but Christopher Cutler Piper, late angent. 1 
for the picture company. 


{? 


“Jumping Jehoshophat! 
_ ishment. 


murmured Joe, in aston. 


rently, while Blake spire apaieal behie 6: oF 
_ to where two soldiers in ragged ‘German uniforms | 
stood sullenly waiting, = 
“So you kept your word, did Pha o or 
: shouted Blake. - | 
C. C., who had turned with a ete at the: int 
ruption, seeing the cause of it, broke into | a broac 
delighted grin. 
Uh ou bet did! phe ree in answer to >the 


eh tion. 


Bir one of the doughboys inoalenen 


' “You were telling us s how ne ‘ 





SURPRISING THE ENEMY 123 


low dogs,’ suggested another, scowling blackly upon 
the sullen prisoners, 

“Yes,” agreed C. C., his face once more assum- 
ing the furious purple of indignation. “TI was tell- 
ing you how these skunks—say, what do you sup- 
pose they were doing, fellows?” he interrupted him- 
self to glare savagely around at his audience. ‘““They 
were prowling around, sticking their bayonets—into 
—wounded men—some of them so near dead they 
couldn’t lift a—finger to—save themselves——” 

A murmur of rage passed round the group and 
the boys made an ominous movement forward, but 
C. C. once more claimed their attention. 

“Vd found an old broken gun,” he was saying, 
“and I gave one Hun a whack over tlie hardest part 
of him that made him stagger and then I wrestled 
with the other till I got his dirty knife away from 
him and—and here we are,” he finished rather 
lamely. 

There were shouts of: 

“Bully for old C. C.!” 

“T should say that’s pretty good—landing two at 
once !” 

“Keep it up, old man—maybe next time you'll 
land a jolly little quartette, you know!” 

C. C.’s face beamed like a huge, round moon and 
he looked happier than the boys had ever seen him. 

As the crowd dispersed, the three chums sur- 


mina later: 


Besuded rhe feed ofthe occasion a neatly shoo 
his hand off. 

“Great work, C. C.!” cried Blake hei | 
thought you were only pas back there, but, Tve 
sure learned my mistake.” Ss 

“How about some chow, eh?” Joe seo | 
yearningly, when the congratulations were over. 

“Yeah,” added Charlie hopefully. “Even hero 
have to eat, don’t they, C.C.?” ‘ 

“Shouldn’t wonder,” responded the latter, snifing: 
the air hungrily. “But I’ve got to dispose of these 
Heinies first,” this last with a disdainful glance 
toward the prisoners that made them scowl sullen 
“Tere comes Captain ware now—guess I can a hana’ 
them over to him.” | ee 

Captain Mayo seemed more than silting’ to deve 
the comedian of his charges, and after a few words 
of real praise and a hearty grip of the hand that 
made Mr. Piper beam anew, the captain left them 1 
to their fate—and chow—hurrying the Germa 1s 


| “Get some good pictures ?” Huenied CAC): ase , wi 
Sone plates, they settled themselves*comfortabt. 


Yes, they ought to be ae goo id Blake u 
; vi sponded, his mouth full’ “7 
“We're not Bone | to lose them this time, 





SURPRISING THE ENEMY 125 


Joe added, patting the box beside him affectionately. 
“The Heinie that gets this gets it over my dead 
body, as the villain would say.” 

“But they can’t be as good as those others we 
lost,’ gloomed Blake, while Charlie looked around 
for something to throw at him. 

“Somebody’s always taking the joy out of life,” 
he sighed. “We can’t even forget our troubles 
while we're eating.” 

“Well,” said C. C., warmed to rare enthusiasm by 
the day’s success and the appetizing chow, “I have 
a hunch that those films aren’t gone for good. I 
“bet you that before long they’ll be turning up, large 
as life and twice as natural.” 

The boys stared and Charlie threw up his hands 
in dismay. 

“Now I know the world is coming to an end,” he 
cried. “C.C. said something cheerful!” 


CHAPTER XV 


A NIGHT OF JOLLITY 

“We ought to be able to pull off a pretty good © 
time for the fellows to-night,” Blake remarked ~ 
thoughtfully, as he and Joe, with Charlie and C. C. + 
bringing up the rear, sauntered slowly along the de- 7 
serted country road. “It’s a good idea, too, to give ‘ 
the fellows something to laugh at and get them as © 
far away from the trenches as we can—for one night © 
at least. Don’t you think so?” a 
“Er—what did you say?” stuttered Joe, disen- © 
gaging himself with difficulty from his somewhat ~ 
gloomy thoughts and looking dazedly at his friend. ~ 
“Say, what’s the matter with you these days?” ~ 
Blake demanded indignantly. “I think you must be © 
in love or something.” i 
“Or something is right,” chuckled Joe. ‘‘No, old « 
man, French girls don’t hold a candle to the girls ‘ 
in the good old U. S. A., to my way of thinking. ~ 
Better guess again. But what were you saying?” ~ 
126 ; 7 







a 


dded, Pages iting that Blake had been 

| ng something about something or other. 
was just remarking,” Blake replied stiffly, “that 
Hadley had the fait idea when he suggested 
edy stuff instead of high ot for to-night.” 
Oh, for the picture show we’re going to give in 
Y,” said Joe, waxing intelligent and interested 
1e same time. “Well, of course, he’s right. The 
ys have enough bloody stuff without having it 

rubbed into their amusements.” 

‘We are going to give them one high-class, five- 
picture though,” continued Blake, waxing warm 
n his enthusiasm, “with the classiest little cast go- 


My, don’t we hate ourselves,” Joe put in with a 
kle. “Tt ought to make quite an effect, though,” 
dded, “to have the actors and actresses in the 
e come out to the footlights in person and make 
little speeches. It will be some surprise to find 
on this side of the water.”, ; 
Quite spectacular,” agreed Blake. “It will all 
fine if only C. C. can be persuaded to postpone ~ 
; famous imitation of the dying codfish 
t this moment C. C. himself hailed them from 


ng wero. x started ae fox a eee Bp Chey 





ee little stroll among the Iovely. “woodland er 
tures——" | 

“Gee, does he mean us?” Bhurtied Charen but 
beyond one withering glance, C. C. declined to no- 
tice the interruption. A 
“And instead of a mile or So, we wander 
miles x 

“Youre the only one whole wandering, C. Cc." 
put in Joe, with a grin. hes sh feet aren't 
doing it either.” ; 4 


soothing hand p on the irate comedian’s arm. é 
doesn’t mean anything by it—the heat always does S 
that to him. We were just wondering,” he contin- 
ued, with apparent sincerity and deep guile, “what 
kind of a speech you were going to hand the bog 
to-night.” ; | 
Ves" added: jose ae the dying codfish dead, 
C. C., or is he to be revivified for the occasion?” 
“Gee, if he’s dead somebody ought to get ye 
and bury him,” murmured Macaroni, at which they 
Dall See eee CyG a 
“JT regret to see,” the latter declaimed sine 
“that you are willing to waste time and breath on 
what you must know to be a purely imaginary 
ject. The only time I ever saw an animal of th 
_ kind,” he continued reminiscently, “was on a fishing 
trip with my aged and now r defunct Uncle Abne : 





ming innocence. 

“No, the fish,” C. C. explained pa nenehy, 
“Tell us about it,” said Joe and Blake together, | 
eir faces unnaturally g orave. 

“Well, it was on a beautiful summer day,” C. C. 
began thoughtfully, his eyes on the far horizon, 
“when my Uncle Abner suggested that I accompany 
him upon a fishing trip.” 

_ “Methinks I heard something of the sort before,” 
murmured Macaroni, but both Joe and Blake silenced 
him with a look. | 
*T must have been about ten years old 
at the time,” the narrator continued thoughtfully, 

“and all the angling I had ever done had been by 
the somewhat crude method of string and bent 
pin.’ 

a. ‘Did you ever catch Neate with it?” queried. 
Cc Charlie with real interest. 

“Sometimes,” C. C. answered with a twinkle, yes, 

a real twinkle. “But it never did me much good 

“because I had a little sister with a very tender heart 
who cried so hard whenever I happened to catch 

ar ane that i had to throw it back to be peace (: 





au 130 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BAT BI 


| Charlie indignantly, but aaa a glance from 
others silenced him. 7 
“Well, to continue,’ went on C. C., igdleie am 
though he were really enjoying himself. “Caal 
Abner, being an experienced fisherman, sniffe ed 
scornfully at my prehistoric tackle and offered as a 
great favor to lend me one of his lightest poles. Of 
course, I was flattered and had visions of myself 7 
telling the story of my wonderful catch i 
_ “Which wasn’t caught,” again murmured Mac. 
“To the admiring and plage staan’ youngsters,” ‘ 
continued C. C. imperturbably, “who had share d 
my lowly fishing expeditions with the string and 
bent pin. Then, too, my tender-hearted little sister 
had been ordered to stay at home, much to my secret 
joy, and I knew that by the time I reached home 
with my marvelous catch the fish would be no longer : 
in the land of the living, which would form a. val- 
uable argument against restoring them 
their native element, as no good could result there- 
from.” | 
“Really,” again put in Macaroni, and this time 
others chuckled with him. | 
“Well,” continued C. C., too much careeeeee n 
his story to notice the interruption, “Uncle Abner 7 
explained to me the intricate mechanism of the rod 
and tackle—at least, so it seemed to me then—s 





‘I was coming to that,” Mr. Piper protested. 
ive me time.” 


acaroni again. : 
“Well,” C. C. continued, “the afternoon wore on 
L ‘nothing happened. Uncle Abner was one of 
se scientific fishermen who act as though you'd 
umitted a crime if you wiggle your big toe. And 
the sun went down, my hopes of a big catch went . 
wn with it, and, not seeing anything else to do, I 


‘Enter the codfish,” cried Joe dramatically. 

‘Say,” protested C. C., this time indignant, “who’s 
ling this oe anyway? If you think you can 
it better b 
“No, no, C. C., I was only fooling.” Joe hastened 
Be plonize. “You were saying you had just 
elded to the blandishments of Perse: or words © 

that effect e 
I was saying,” Mr. Piper corrected frigidly, “that 
I had just fallen asleep— 
Oh, pardon me,” from Joe. 
V hen I got a nibble,” said C. C. sternly, 





1X 32 "PICTURE BOYS ON FREN 7 


“Well, you don’t need to teen at me,” Mac 

tested. “I didn’t do it.” Ae > 

“What happened then, C. C.?” asked Blake <i . 
tily. “You say you felt a nibble——” 4 

_ “And sucha nibble,” agreed C. C., warming to hi $ 
story again. “Say, you may not believe me, boys, 
but it jerked me half off that rock.” /* a 

“Gee, what was it, a whale?” cried Joe, eyein 
the comedian’s rather bulky frame unbelievingly. 

“You forget,’ said C. C. acidly—for C. C. loved 
being Winer the way an irate bull loves a ed 
flag—“that at the time of my story I was only ten 
years old and not as—er—shall we say—we 
padded, as I am now. And the fish was not 
whale.” ae 

“Of course it wasn’t,” agreed Macaroni happily. ‘ 
“Don’t be stupid, Ie Don’t Bet see? It was 
the dying codfish 

“There you go, forestalling me again,’ ’ protested d 
C.C. “A fellow has about as much chance of tell- 

ing something to vou ioe . 

“Yes, yes, go on,” again urged Blake. “Yo 
woke up to find yourself being jerked forcibly fr m 
your rocky perch 

“Tt wasn’t a perch, it was a codfish, * Macs 
insisted, while they looked for Sate to ae 

at him. 





“Neither, A a replied suetiity: “Uncle Abner. 
_ grabbed the line and succeeded in bringing the fish 
toshore. It was a perch, not a codfish, and if it was 
dying it camouflaged the fact pretty well and, say, it 
was a beauty. But just as Uncle Abner gave a last 
Piet to the reel I'll be darned if the fish didn’t break 
; away, hook and all, and slide down into the water 
F again.” | 
_ “Gee, that was tough luck,” murmured Mac sym- 
pathetically. “So the dying codfish—or perch— 
‘still lived on.” 

“Fe refused to shuffle off the mortal coil,” chanted — 
‘Blake. 

“But Shuffled off ie hook fetes. ” finished Joe, 
wil even c C. allowed himself a feeble grin. 

— “But say,’ remarked Blake suddenly, bringing 
Phen with a start to a realization of the present. 
“That sun says it waxeth late and we’ll have to do 
‘some hustling if we expect to pull off that show to- 
1 ight.” ) 

Several hours later, the Y. M. C. A. tent was | 
crowded with uniformed figures, boys with eager 
faces, glad to get away from the horror and night- 
om are of war, determined to enjoy this hour of re- 
laxation to the utmost. 


‘ Me aaa ley had chosen the films himself, care- 





The boys shouted with a at the gene comedy , 
and applauded the acting of pretty Miss Lee and 
Miss Shay in their stirring, five-reel drama, with — 
boyish enthusiasm. > wg ~ i q 

“Say, don’t those girls make you think of home?” — 

+ asked one doughboy of dnother, his eyes chimnell 
with something deeper than admiration. “Birdie — 
Lee reminds me of a little girl, say Frank—I wish © j 
you could see that little girl. She’s——” his voice 
broke and the other boy dabean a hand across his 

_ shoulders. ee 

“T know, old man,” he said, in a husky. whisper. a 
“T’ve got one like that, too. And that mother— — 
gosh, man, I can’t get over feeling that ve seen my — 
mother—there on the screen——’” 

And then before the astonished and delighted Joe 
of those young soldiers the actual actors in the play 
-appeared—the girls who had reminded them of their 
sweethearts, the mother who ow seemed ings 
mother | 

There was an feeetnes murmur that swelled 
into a roar of delight, and the boys cheered ant’ 





Wise often renee Ane voices of the peer 
a he or she waited, pees but with @ queer 


Paice ee hel bravery, their es their 
enthusiasm! 
At last it was over ae the two abidier boys who | 
d spoken before sauntered out with the rest, arm 
aa). | 
“Going to turn fe, Frank?” asked one. 

“Soon, I guess,” the other answered. “But I’m 


oing to write—first. Say, old man—that little ee? 


woman on the screen with the white hair and the— 
th the—homey look—I suppose I’m crazy, but I can’t 
g get over the idea that Pve seen—my mother * 





CHAPTER XVI 


THE TRAIL OF THE HUN | 


“T HEAR we’re in for a new kind of a trip, fe - 
~ lows ” said Blake, hurrying up to his friends one k 
morning a few days later. | a 

“Nothing that will take us away from the fight | 
ing line, I hope,” returned Joe. — 

“Not very far away,” answered Blake, and ne 
for a long time. I got the tip from CC. It see: 
that the War Department cabled or. wirelessed to 
the authorities here that they want a special set oO 4 
films and they think that we’re the fellows to do th : 

job. C. C. was present when Mr. Hadley got the 
ae message and he said—But here comes Mr. Hadle : 


what he wants to talk to us ie GY Beg! 
‘Mr. Hadley came up to them in his brisk way a 
as usual with him, plunged right into the subj 
without beating around the bush. __ hoes 
- “Got a different ee for you, boys,” he e said a 






















€ vontated parts of Northern France. You. See, 
s this way; Germany is going to be licked good 
d proper, and not very long from now either. 
She’s on her last legs, although she keeps putting up 


he may crumple up any time like a bit of 


>) 





a “Scrap of paper,” interjected Joe with a twinkle. 


‘with a smile at the allusion. “Now when that 
breakdown comes and she throws up her hands, the 


i 


first thing they'll have to do is to figure up the dam- 
* has done.” 


with a stern crease in his brow. 

4 “They'll do that all right,” said Mr, Hadley con- 
dently. “But they want to have an actual record 
n pictures of what she’s really done to the towns 
and villages her troops have occupied or passed 
through. Of course, you can’t get it all, but you 
can get enough to shut the mouth of the stupid and 
a ‘the pro-Germans who claim that these things have 
been exaggerated, that Germany isn’t as black as she 
s been painted and therefore ought to be let down 
sy and so get out of her just punishment. Do 
















a pretty stiff bluff. But we've got her going and. 


x “Scrap of paper is right,” resumed Mr. Hadley 


Allies will have to frame a treaty of peace, and the 
ages that Germany will have to pay for all the evil 


a “T hope they soak her good and plenty,” said Joe, 


“ 














138 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH i pal 


“Sure thing,” replied* Blake. “The ee trou 
is that we’re too late to get the worst ings Hie S- 
done. We can’t get the pictures of the little boys — 
and old men that she lined up against the wall in 
Dinant and shot down in batches, We can’t get the 
women and babies who have been stabbed and bay- 
oneted and burned to death. We can’t get the help- | 
less passengers in small boats that have been shelled © 
by submarines, the men and women drowning in ic’ q 
waters while the Huns stood on their decks and 
laughed at their dying agonies. We can’t get the © 
thousands of young girls torn from their mothers’ a 
arms in Lille and other cities and sent into Germany + 
to toil for their conquerors. And if we did get them 
they'd be too horrible to show. The heart Ok the 
world would break in looking at them.” 

His voice trembled with the vehemence of hi S ~ 
emotion and his fists were clenched so that the nai a4 
bit into the palms. 

“Yes,” said Mr. Hadley soberly, “you're “right, j 
Blake. We can’t make Germany give back the i in- 
“nocent lives she’s taken and the punishment for tha: : 
must be left to God, But we can make her pay for 
the material damage she has done up to the limit of 
her ability, and it is for that reason that we want 
this series of films. They'll be part of the evidenc a 
What do you say? I laid the matter before yo 


fe 


commander and he said that, of course, if the D 








. a ig a big army Betatohile for OG edcnakeee and an- 














E who will go with you as an escort.” 

“Sure we'll go,” replied Blake. 

“You bet we ee ” echoed Joe. 

“Count me in,” said Charlie. 

Mr. Hadley looked his gratification at their raid 
ess. : 
_ “T warn you it will be a depressing trip,” he said. 


E foot had trod? Well, ‘Attila was a Hun. Do you 
get me?” : 

“We get you,” they answered in unison. 
_.When are we slated to start, Mr. Hadley ?” 
| Backed Blake. 

“To-morrow I guess, or next day at latest,” an- 
__swered Mr. Hadley. “We'll get the autos tuned up 
to-day so that they'll be in shape for the trip, and 
we'll see that there’s plenty of all kinds of grub, 
- for you probably won’t be able to get any on the 














the rest will be living on charity. The Allied armies 
are sending them supplies as fast as possible, but it 





3 other one will carry supplies and a couple of soldiers 


“Tt will be anything but a joy ride. It will be like 
; riding through a cemetery. It was Attila, wasn’t it, 
_ who said that the grass never grew where his horse’s 


way for love or money.’ Most of the people in the ~ fe 
sections you go through will be half starved and — 


5 takes time. Get a hustle on now, boys. I'll see that ey 











you’ re eke with filme enough to last yoy for 


Wea ERED. 


_ He hurried away and the ‘bee set. to Been. at 
once to make ready. They reported to their com- 
mander and got his formal Ea, on for the 
journey. Two men were assigned to them as an 
escort, clean cut, likely looking fellow Np and to their — a 
surprise and pleasure they noted that one of them qi 
was Tom Wentworth. a 
“Why, how are you, Tom?” Blake greeted tee a 
heartily. “So you pulled through all right, did you? — 
It’s good to see you around again with two good “ 
legs.” ‘ o. 
“The sawbones didn’t take your lege off, eh?” “4 
queried Joe with a grin. ~ mo 
“No,” replied Tom with a smile. “I saved ‘he a 


De ca peg, thanks to you fellows. The doctor said 


that if you hadn’t made such a good job of that first — 
aid I might have had to lose it. I can never thank 
you boys enough for the way you rae your lives, 
_ to save mine that day.” if 


yi,  ~ “Oh, it’s all right,” said Blake. “Both Joe wid 


Lare only too glad that we Bia Ga to be Jobe 
on-the-spot.” ie 
“T hear you got a doce of trouble of Jou own 


that same ee remarked toon 












4 they were likely to need on the journey. 
F. All the members of the moving picture company 
were on hand to see them off, although it was an 
aly early hour. 

C. C. was there with the rest, and his face was, if 
% Bscable. even more lugubrious than usual. | ite 
q _ “Remember that there’s a whole lot of mines and 
- shells there that haven’t been exploded yet,” he cau- 
tioned. “I shouldn’t be Bs if one: of thenr 7" ye 
would get the whole lot of you.” © (ee 
_ “They haven't got us yet, and we've been in an ae “aie 
peed many more risky places,”’ laughed Joe. . ae 
fe atiats just. it,” persisted Co Gah Y ow re ayaa 
! “about due for it. The pees that goes to the well 
oo often gets broken at last.” _ 
Pe “Ror goodness’ sake,” put in Nellie Shay. “Any 
one would think, C. C., that we’d gathered to attend = 
a he boys’ funeral. You're as cheerful as a crutch.” 
e “TI move that C. C. be sent to talk to the German 
_ prisoners,” said Birdie Lee mischievously. ‘After 
_ they've ve listened to him for a while they’ll all com- 






























| the acer AE feeding them.” © / 
They all laughed, while C. C. looked at her re- 
proachfully. | 
“Cheer up,  GeQhien chaffed Blake “the/worst is yet ‘ 
to come. Sumietine real good will happen some 
time and the shock will be too much/for you. In 3 
the meantime just feed upon gloom/and that will — 
make you feel natural.” | oa 
“A truce to this merry jesting,” laid Joe. “Here J 
comes Mr. Hadley, ane as usual, jhe’s in a anne 
- hurry.” / x 
Their employer came pee up and shook hands i 
with them. i. 
“All ready, I see; toe ” he said. “Well, good q 
luck to you and bring us back a bang-up series of a 
films. And mind,” he cautioned them, “what you are ~ 


that were caused, the results merely of spite and 
rage, the things that are wholly unjustified by the 
‘laws of war. If villages and churches were de- 
stroyed in actual fighting, don’t pay any attention 
to them. That’s part of the game of war and the 
nations have simply got to grin and bear it. But 
where the destruction was wicked and needless, cold- 
blooded and deliberate, get it down in the films : ex- 
actly as you find it.” ite 
“All right,” said Blake. “I guess we've ae 





ae] te 





i dea — And if all we've see is true, we won ’t run 
- short of subjects.” | | 
_ There was a chorus of farewells and a waving of 
hands, as the chauffeur threw in the clutch and the 
a machine started off, followed by the heavier one 

_ containing their escort and supplies, 
















Bee A he general plan that had been laid out for them 4 
was that they should start from ‘Chateau-Thierry i 
on the Marne and follow the line of the main Ger- 
man retreat since that time. So they made straight — he 
for that famous town at arapid rate of speed. en 

_ “Well,” remarked Blake, as he settled back inthe 
car, “here we are at last on the trail of the Hun.” 
“Yes,” rejoined Joe, “and, believe me, it’s some 


ae 
fe, trail!” 
eg : 


CHAPTER XVII 


WRECK AND RUIN 


Tue word had been passed by the rudy atl- oa 
thorities that the moving picture boys should be — 


‘given every facility in obtaining views of re a 


thing that came within the scope of their mission, 


and this permission acted like a magic a). re 


wherever they went. , 

Chateau-Thierry itself was ot the Veni inter 
est to them, and they would haye liked to trace out 
the course of the battles there and at Belleau Wood 
_ where the Americans had covered themselves with 


By imperishable glory. But their time was limited, a 
they had to be back on the front lines within a week, 
and they kept themselves strictly to > the wore hey : 


t _ had in hand. 


t 












_ oughly wrecking the inside of the houses where they 

had been quartered. 

“Just look at this!” exclaimed Blake as they en- 

tered a house that had evidently been occupied by 

a well-to-do family. “If this isn’t a complete job I 

_ never saw one.” | 

Z “T suppose this was a case of military necessity,” 

f said Joe sarcastically, as he looked at the furniture 
4 “smashed to bits and a handsome piano that had been 

j “hacked by axes. 

oe “Military necessity!” snorted. Blake. 
“Even the kids’ toys haven’ t been spared,” 

3 marked Mac, as he set up the camera to take sera 
of the nursery. “Look at these Teddy bears torn 
in two, the legs and arms pulled from the dolls, the 
' _doll’s cradles smashed. Poor little kiddies!” 


_ From room to room they went, their hearts swell- 


ing with indignation. 
Bayonets had been thrust through the works of 
P costly clocks, covers and pages had been ripped from 
books and strewn about the floor, oil paintings had 
B een slit with knives, vases, urns, crockery and 
lassware were shattered into fragments, curtains 
and tapestries had been torn into ribbons, ink had 

















"the house had been smashed, mattresses had been 


_ been poured over rugs and carpets, every mirror in 


lees “SL. te poe Say PR ee ee ee 


oe tt was a scene of utter nee ‘wan nton 1 
and the boys grew hot with wrath. 
“It 1s the same everywhere,” ther French guide, 


went from house to house fe eed that he had ‘— 
spoken the truth. e 
“Gee, but it’s a relief to get out in he open air a 
again!” exclaimed Blake, when they had finished — of 
their work for the day. “Those sights worked on — 
me so that I felt as if I would cave in if I syed | 4 
there much longer.” a 

“Tm glad that we’ve got it on record though, 4 
remarked Joe. ‘Tell that to people and they’d say 
that you were lying. But they can’t yay well se 
away from the evidence of the films.” 

The next morning they left the city and colle out 
on the country roads. It had been one of the most 
beautiful sections of sunny France, but now it ha 

been transformed into a desert. Every horse an 
cow had been killed or carried away, fences had — 
been burned, and where farmhouses had stood wer 
nothing but heaps of ashes and masonry. Farm im 
plements had either been carried off, or when there 
had not been time for that, had been broken O 
thrown into the flames of the houses, where th y 
ay i in twisted shapes, a melancholy ruin. 


From time to time they passed pare of refu 















the Merit of the Germans, but now that 
| had been defeated were returning again to what had Eke 
aaa their homes. There were wagons piled with a 
household goods, drawn sometimes by horses and Sh 
again by men between the shafts. There were | 
Ps smaller vehicles drawn by dogs, and boys trundled pe 
f i. - wheelbarrows along. Men and women and little 


E children trudged along beside the vehicles. Their © 
& _ faces were pinched and thin and De peRT, a! 
_ grave, for though they were at last returning to 


their homes, they had seen enough along the road to 
make them fear what those homes would be when Fie 
- they finally reached them. 

q “Poor things!” said Joe with pity. “Can you 
: _ imagine how they’ll feel when they stand before 
the pile of ashes or of bricks that they used to call is 
home?” — Van 
_ “They'll have to begin life all over se ? ob- ee. 
served Blake. | | 
“And with nothing to do it with,” said Mac. 
“Gee, but those sights make you sore! Just look 
over there.” | 

He pointed to a spot a little way off the. road. 


se 


3s 
ne, 
ae 







oe 
Te 













% a thing left of what had been a house. On the : if 
hearth a woman was trying to heat a little water in 









wreckage. She was not old, but her form was 


8 | PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH i 


| emaciated, ee eyes sunken, Bre See eholel Bicate 
one of utter hopelessness. A baby wrapped itt any 
old shawl was lying on the grass near by, fretting 
feebly, while the mother with a few twigs that she _ 
had gathered was feeding the paanee fire and tyme a 
to coax the water to boil. | ; 
The sight was too much for the ibe i an in- | 
stant they called to their chauffeur to stop. The | 
other car, close behind, slowed down, too. The boys” ‘ 
sprang from their car and with the help of their a | 
escort hurried over to the woman, with their a : 


aa 


stores. 
and jars and condensed milk were among them. ¥ 
The woman saw them coming, and at first the : 
sight of the unfamiliar uniforms made her shrink, 
and’ she rushed toward her baby as though to pick iG 
it up and flee. But the kindly look in the bright, 
eager faces of the newcomers reassured her, and q 
when she saw them place the food on the ground | 
near her and indicate by gestures that it was meant | 4 4 
for her she burst into a fit of wild weeping. oe 
While she tried to gain control of herself, the — : 
boys, to cover their own embarrassment, crowded 
around the baby and made much of it. Then Ne 





PN conn ce Md 








+ y 2 





WRECK AND RUIN. 149 


hands to ees Peed them that she was invoking 
blessings on them. 
“And to think,’ said Blake, as, seated in their 
cars, the party was once more speeding along the 
q road, “that that same thing in one form or another 
“iS: happening all through Northern France and in 
| Belgium Her husband was probably killed or is 
in the army and she comes back to find her home 
a gone. What will she do? What can she get to 
i ae Where can she sleep?” | 
‘They found many more such calls on their help 
and sympathy, and they were thankful that they 
: _ had twice as much in the way of supplies as they 
~ needed, thanks to the bountiful provision made by ber 
their employer who had, perhaps, had this in mind 
when he stocked their car so thoroughly. tae 
a They passed orchards that had once been filled = 


g ame carefully cultivated trees that every year were A 
a oY with fruit.’ Every tree had been cut down or i 
sawn more than halfway through, so astodestroyit = = | 


~ forever. In cases where the despoilers had been 

ee for time, they had placed charges of dyna- 
a mite in the forks of the tree and the explosion of 
- this had split the trunk in two. 

“It wasn’t enough to abuse humanity,” remarked 
‘Joe bitterly, “they even had to outrage nature.” “(othe 
7" They oe S make France a beggar for the 
Et fit ty years,’ > commented Blake savagely. : 











ae PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH 1 BATTLEFIBL s 


4 ~ 
tig Ate! |’ 


an They did not dare to drink any ee GON 
ie aN along the way, for the wells had been contaminated 
ane and defiled. Even the dead had not been spared, for _ 
fone graves had been rifled and tombstones desecrated by 
_ coarse inscriptions. i 
In the towns, they found that the same remorse- 
less devastation had been carried on. Mills had | 
been stripped of all their costly machinery, which 
had been carried away into Germany and then the — 
mills themselves blown up. The sanctity of — 

churches had not protected them. The altar orna- 
ments had been stolen and charges of dynamite put — 
in the pillars of the structures and exploded. Works 
of art had not been spared. Statues in public 
squares had been carried away. Private houses had © 
_. been utterly looted, and even the bells and door- — 
knobs had been stolen. 7 
Coal mines had been flooded so that they could — 
not be gotten in working condition for many years 
to come. In a single city, ten thousand working- — 
men’s houses had been razed to the ground. Every-— 
where it was the same story—cold-blooded, heart- 
less, deliberate destruction. _ oe, 
“Well,” said Blake a few days later, as they were na 
nearing their old headquarters, “V’m glad that ce wd 
is done.” ; : 4 
® “Yes,” returned Joe, “and there isn’t any money 3 
rot that would tempt me to go anna it again.” te 













a en 


o “2 re ; wp te sae 
we oa a are nag sm =e ee 
Pe ee ott eae ee ee OP Se ee ee 


Oe 


gts 


WRECK AND RUIN | Tor 


“I’m glad the films gave out when they did,” 
added Macaroni. “I expect to have nightmares for 
the next year.” 

They received a hearty welcome from Mr. Had- 
ley, who was much gratified at the thoroughness 
with which they had done their work. 

“You need a change now,” he said with a smile. 
“Perhaps you'll be glad to get off the ground and up 
into the sky.” 

“What do you mean?” asked Blake and Joe in 
one breath. 

“T’ve arranged to have you go up in an aeroplane 
and take views of the enemy’s lines,” replied Mr. 
Hadley. “That is, of course, if you are willing.” 

“Willing is our middle name!’ exclaimed Joe. 

“Same here,’ agreed Blake. “The Huns have 
done mischief enough in the air, too, but at least we 
won't be able to see the traces of it.” 


fi 


CHAPTER XViEE 
SWEEPING THROUGH THE SKY 


THE morning on which the boys were to take 
their aerial excursion dawned clear and prignt being 
indeed, as Blake remarked, “made to order.” Th 
two boys had watched the weather anxiously for th 
last day or two, as nobody knew better than the 
_ the necessity of clear, sunshiny weather for the mak i 


Ne ing of good pictures. But this day was all tha 


could be desired, and immediately after breakfast 
. the two friends, carrying their cameras and othe 
essential equipment, reported at the aeroplane han 


gars. Arrangements had been made to supply them 


- with a machine and pilot, and when they arrive 
they found’a big bi-plane already out, with a n 
a chanic putting the last touches to the engine, an 

_ very capable looking pilot standing alongside. — 
lack of room Charlie had been forced to stay behit 
Fn cates you'r re my two Bras aly all Pele 


i ee 


ue bialiced up to him. va doesn t take any detective 0 








EEPING ais UGH THE SKY 


€ 


your shoulders.” | 
a “No, they're a dead give-away,” smiled Blake, 
_ “and they’re loaded for some pretty exciting pictures 
o-day, too. We’ve taken them about every other 
ay there is to take pictures, and now we’re very 
a interested in this method.” 


Well, & probably won’t be half as exciting as | 


- you think,” remarked the aviator, whose name was 
parent, “People who aren’t used to flying seem to 
- think that there is nothing but thrills to it, but, 
in point of fact, after you Bet used to it, it’s rather 
" monotonous than otherwise.” 
“Well, I guess it isn’t very monotonous when 
‘ Bandy i iS taking pot shots at you with an anti- 
_ aircraft gun, is it?” inquired Joe, who was inclined 
to be somewhat incredulous of the airman’s state- 
~ ment, | . ; 
“Oh, of course, circumstances alter cases,” 
~ laughed Trent, “but I’m just speaking of ordinary 


‘eee 











been at this game as long as. I have, you’d feel the 
} ‘same way, I'll bet.” s- 


point of view more to the aviator’s modesty than 
| anything else, but before they could argue the point, 
the mechanic reported “all ready,” and Trent 
climbed into the pilot’s seat, at the same time indi- 


that, Pehen you Rave these cameras ee over 


_ patrol duty, or something along that line. If you'd y 


The two friends were fe to attribute this 









on a ‘PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH ae 













cating to the boys the tices that ee teen prepared. | 
_ for them. It did not take them long to adjust them- _ 
selves and their cameras to their satisfaction, and — 
when this was done, the pilot gave the word to the 
-mechanic to crank the engine. A quick whirl of the | 
propeller, a few spasmodic barks from the engine, — 
and then a steady roar as the powerful motor “took — 
hold.” The aeroplane moved forward over. the 
_ smooth grass, slowly at first, but with ever-increas- 4 
ing speed. When they had traversed about a 
hundred yards, the pilot gave a quick move to one . 
of his controlling levers, and the big machine lifted 
lightly into the air and soared upward. Without — 
any reflection on the courage of Blake and Joe, it ~ 
may be said that they both gripped their seats with | 
somewhat unnecessary force, in view of the fact that 
they were securely strapped in anyway, and could 
_ not by any possibility have fallen out. 
: But this sensation soon wore off, and the boys 
Mi began to enjoy the novelty of the thing. The : ma-— 
chine was mounting steadily, for the first few min- 
- utes, but soon reached the desired height, and then : 
flew along parallel with the earth’s surface. ‘They a 
were flying in the direction of the German lines, 
and in a very short time the boys decided that they 
were near enough to start photographing. Accord- — 
ingly, they focused their cameras, and were ae 





= eee re 

















































v 


THROUGH THE SKY 


é 
ie a 





me ine. = r 
Peres 


WEEPING 









cernedly as they had ever done on terra firma. It — 
was impossible to talk to each other or the pilot, so 
great was the noise of the motor, but they had re- 
_ ceived explicit orders as to what was expected of Gey 
_ them, and each one of them did his task in the best 
possible way. 

é On this first trip the pilot had been instructed not 
to fly over the German lines, but, when he reached 
them, to take more of a parallel course, and this he 
accordingly did. , : 
_ It was a wonderful panorama that lay spread out ui 
below them, and the boys were filled with the ar- ee 
tist’s delight at having such a tremendous view to 
film. Reel after reel they put through their cam- 
eras, until their supply was at last exhausted. When : 
this happened, Blake leaned over until his mouth i 
_was close to the pilot’s ear, and shouted: ee 
















short space of time, was circling over the aviation Ne 
field preparatory to making a landing. Lower and ry 





with a grin, ae did you enjoy your ride? Get 
the pictures all right?” a 
“Tt was a wonderful od a Blake, “tike 


le he added. a 

“Well, that’s considerably different from what a 
most of the people I’ve taken up say,” said Trent. — 
“As a general thing, they’re so absorbed in wonder- — 


old earth again, that they don’t have time for any= 
thing else.” . 
“After you've been mixed up in this war awhile, mx 
you get into the habit of doing what you set out ion 
— do, and not EY Be much about the danger that | 
goes with it,” remarked Blake, and the aviator 
~ nodded acquiescence. | 
The boys then proceeded to remove their appara- 
tus from the aeroplane, and after taking a hearty 


quarters. Arrived thee they reported, and turned 
in their new films to be developed. ie 
“welll have more work for “iat nlgne the Si 





. they were Derouned he as commanding 
officer. “Report early to-morrow morning, and ab 
give you your instructions.” | 
_ The boys saluted, and when ciey St outside, 
4 compared notes as to their sensations on ee first 
‘flight. 

“There's nothing to compare it to, though,” la- 
“mented Joe at last. “When you take a fast auto 
: ride, or something along that line, you say it’s just 
like flying, but when you have actually been up in 
the air, you find that it’s like nothing else under the 


“It’s still ‘just like flying’ ” smiled Blake, and 
with this they had to be content. 
_ “Wonder what’s on the programme for to-mor- 


i row,’ * speculated Joe. “Something seems to tell oy R 


_ that we’re booked for another trip through the air.’ 
“Guess likely,” agreed Blake. “If those pictures - 
is ie: took to-day turn out all right, it’s pretty peed 
they’ll want more of them.” a 
_ “Well, I guess we’re the boys to get them,” a 
“Joe, and the two fast friends smiled in mutual con= 
dence and understanding. , 





CHAPTER XIX 


4 


THE FALLING PLANE | 


creed to do, and found their speculations of bo 


on previous day justified. 


“Those films you took yesterday turned out sok 
rate,” said Merrick, their commander. “Now, t 


1 di they have numerous fatonies De anti hee t 
a guns.” As he said this, he looked. at them ae 


bronzed ie | Ne 
. “We've been through some oe teak su f 




























ey THE PALLING PLANE 159 


tg No, I thinke I agree with you,” HA said. “Well, 
‘then, this is what I want you to do,” and he pro- 
Bcded to give them full instructions. 

2 “You will have the same machine at your disposal 
as you had yesterday,” he concluded, “and will be 
ni by two fast fighting planes, that will 
engage the enemy if you are attacked. And I want 
_ to impress on you both the necessity of getting these 
f oa at any cost.” 3 

_ “We'll do our very best, sir,” stated Blake, and 
3 ‘then, the interview being at an end, the moving pic- 
4 ture boys saluted and went in search of their outfit. 

It did not take them long to get ready, and in a 
4 very short time they found themselves in the same 
seats they had occupied during yesterday’s flight. 
The two wasp-like fighting planes that had been de- 
tailed to convoy the heavier observation machine, 

were already aloft, their motors humming as they 
,- slowly circled, waiting for the big machine to come 
a When all was foe Trent gave the are to the 
-mechanician, as formerly, and the powerful plane 
rose from the ground and joined its companion aloft. 


feet, the battle planes flew alongside, one on each 
side, and a little above, and they straightened out 
a bee line for the enemy territory. 





When it had reached an altitude of about a thousand 


According to their orders, they were not to take 









| any pictures until they were satiate over ee enemy 
_ trenches, so they had more opportunity than before — 
_to note what went on about them. They had time 
to drink in the magnificence of the scene spread out 
before them, mile after mile, as far as the eye could | 4 
reach. They could also notice the masterly way in : 
which the pilot maneuvered his machine, going up or — 
down, slower or faster, by an almost imperceptible | 
movement of his controlling levers. They gave little 
thought to the dangers that lay ahead, having 
learned not to cross bridges until they came to 4 
them. hs 
All three planes were travelling fast, and it oad 
not long before they reached the outskirts of their 
own lines, and then found themselves actually over 


German territory, as Joe afterward said, “with ae 
ing between them and Berlin but air.”’ Koh 




















iy THE FALLING PLANE 161 


and little white puffs of smoke were breaking all 
; about them. The big plane rocked and swayed, but 
not one of its occupants even dreamed of giving up 
% until their objects were attained, and they held stead- 
ily onward. The two escorting planes were by now 
high above the heavier machine, taking their alti- 
ude so as to be ready for any Hun machines that 
might be lurking in the higher air strata. Several 
times shrapnel bullets whistled through the wings of 
the aeroplane, or spatted against the engine, but by 
good fortune none of its occupants had been hit so 
far, nor had any vital part of the machinery been 
damaged. 
4 The boys were just starting on their last reel, 
when Blake, in spite of the absorption of his task, 
suddenly sensed that all was not well with their 
_ motor, which up to now had been roaring its deep- 
throated song without any sign of faltering. But 
now there was a hesitation and irregularity in its 
; “note that boded trouble. Blake saw the pilot lean 
over, evidently doing his best to Snete matters, 
but apparently to no avail. The “missing” of the 
engine became worse, and then the motor suddenly 
stopped altogether. 













der. “The engine’s burnt up, and we’ve got to take 
g ground. 4 





man Patteces were in full swing by this time, 


i” “We'll have to land!” yelled 7 Trent, over his shoul- 








they knew that this rricacht ase by the “olsen | 
and not only of themselves, but of their precious — 
films. However, there was nothing else to be done, — 
and they nerved themselves for what was before — 
them. a 
_ The aeroplane volplaned swiftly, the earth seem- — 
ing to rise up*to meet them. Their escorting ma- — 
chines, of course, could do nothing to save them, and 

| when they saw that the big machine was gems a 


their surrender. Nich 
Of course, there was nothing the Americans could 1d 
do but accept their fate as gracefully as possible, so 
they stepped out of the plane, and, much as it wen 
against the grain, gave themselves up as prisoner 
of war. Ata gesture and guttural word of com- — 
mand from the German officer, they were sur- 


a search of the aeroplane to be made. His eye 
lighted up when he saw the cameras. and films, fo 










7 THE FALLING PLANE 


‘ edits the Pieridae relaxed their vigilance for 


hd 


a moment, in an endeavor to see what it was that 
- had been captured, and Blake, always on the alert, 
pwes quick to seize the opportunity thus afforded. 
_ He noted that there was a strip of thick woods 
some hundred yards from where they stood, and in 
{ a flash it crossed his mind that if he and his com- 
_ panions could reach this woods, they might make 
good their escape. | 
 Stealthily he touched Joe and Trent on the arm, 
_and glanced meaningly toward the trees. They were 
not slow in grasping his meaning, and suddenly all 
- broke through the Germans surrounding them, and : 
raced at top speed for the sheltering woods. ” 
P _ The slow-witted Germans were taken completely pay 
_ by surprise, and to a spectator it would have been 
comical to see their clumsy and frantic efforts to 
_ get their rifles into position and'fire. They wasted 
_ several precious seconds, that were as the breath of 
life to the three Americans, racing for their lives. 
They had covered almost half the distance before 
the first bullets began to sing past their ears. They 
crouched low, and, following Blake’s example, ran 
in jerky zig-zags, disconcerting the aim of their = 
_ enemies, But the little, steel-coated bullets were 
_ singing all about them, and the line of trees still \ 
: seemed a long way off. Suddenly the aviator, Trent, 
4 ave a sharp cry, staggered on a a steps with his 











own momentum, a then cient to the ecole ny 

Grief was in the boys’ hearts, but they knew that 
to stop would only sacrifice their own lives, without. 
in any way benefitting Trent, who, indeed, had re-_ “ 
ceived a bullet through the head and was dead be- a 
fore he struck the ground. f 

With a final desperate burst of speed, the two 
boys dashed forward, and found themselves at last — 
in the shelter of the friendly trees, and for the mo- 
ment hidden from their pursuers. Their position 
was still a desperate one, however, for they were in 
the enemy’s territory, surrounded on all sides, and 
totally ignorant of the extent or direction of the 
woods in which they now found themselves. The 
underbrush was very heavy, however, and after run- _ 
ning a short distance further, they buried themselves — 
in it, and lay quiet, getting back their wind, and ‘ 
listening to the angry shouts and cries of their pur-_ 
suers as they beat about in the brushwood, in a vain — 
attempt to locate their elusive captives. But they 
were soon recalled by their officers, and at the time — 
the boys were greatly surprised at this, mse 
later they found out the reason for it. 

After they had recovered from their strenuous 
race against death, and the sounds of pursuit had 
died down, Blake and Joe set out on an exploring ex- 
pedition, making, as well as they could, in the gen- 














“cautiously, stopping often to Tsten for any sign of 

, ‘enemy life. They were not molested, but had not 

_ been traveling in this way for much more than an 

_ hour, when they saw light through the trees in front 

_ of them, and shortly found that they were near the 

_ boundary of the little patch of woods, beyond which 
was only open country. 

. _ They glanced at each other, and Blake remarked: 

4 “Looks as though we had gone about as far as is 
_ good for us in this direction, doesn’t it?” 

a “Sure does,” assented Joe briefly. ‘What do you 
_ think we had better do now?” | 

“Tt seems to me our best plan will be to skirt 

rind the edge of this little forest glade,” said 
| Blake, ‘and get an idea of just how big it is. If it 
_ isn’t any more extensive than I think it is just now, 
we are emphatically out of luck. And think of 
ihiose dandy films, gone!” 

“Out of luck is right,” assented Joe. “But, at 

4 "any rate, we may be able to make a break at night, 


4 and get back to our own lines.” 


“That's about our one best bet,” agreed Blake ae 


E- soberly. “We'll find out how we stand now, and 


after dark we'll see what we can do. If only we had 


our films,” he added regretfully. , 
_ “T guess we can say good-bye to them,” said Joe 
“We'll be mighty lucky to get out of this 





Pah ee OO NE hee eeu ae 


_ THE FALLING PLANE ‘165, 


H 
oes | 
at 


ie 














well, never say die,” quoted Blake ant with at 





ae the extent of the woods in which they now found — ; 
themselves. As Blake had anticipated, they covered — 
ea less than a square mile, and it did not take hea 4 
long to ascertain this fact. Peering out from the 
edges, they could see masses of German infantry ‘ 
and artillery out in the open, and suddenly a thought 
struck Joe. ‘ 
“Tl tell you why they did not hunt for us ane Pog 
he exclaimed. “Their leader figured that we'd 
either have to come out and surrender, or else Sth 

















quarters and see what they were.” 7 
“Well, we may fool him yet,” said Joe cin 







to Daca and also pretty likely that we won’t ‘sure 
render without having a try for bPern any ey & 
How about it, old fellow?” t 
“Right you are!” agreed Blake heartily; ¢ ‘as soon 
as it gets dark, we’ll make our attempt, and see what 
aii of it. I only wish we had Trent alone with 























( nserving e their strength for the ordeal that lay be- 
fore them, so they hunted out a dense growth of 
4 Pinderbrush, and crawled in. Thus snugly hidden, 


y thunder of guns, knew that a big battle was in prog-° 
ress, and wished that they were back where they te 
ould become part of it. The shadows gradually _ fa 


what seemed an interminable period, the boys knew 
that the time had come for them to make their ven- 
ure. By this time they were both as hungry as 
q _ young wolves, but wasted little time in regretting 
_ this condition, as they saw little prospect of remedy- ; 
& ing it just at present. Pein 
Creeping cautiously out from their brush shelter, } y 
they advanced to the edge of the woods, and peered as 


vie 
oe 
r 


CHAPTER 
SURROUNDED BY FOES 


THE night was very cloudy and dark, which 
promised to favor their escape. They strained their 
ears to catch any sound of a lurking enemy, but, 
although, there was considerable stir and bustle in 
the distance, they could hear nothing near at hand 
that threatened any special danger. 

“Guess we might as well risk it now as any other 
time,’ whispered Blake, and, as Joe felt the same 
way, they stole cautiously out. Occasionally a few 
stars showed through breaks in the clouds, and the 
boys knew enough of astronomy to lay a rough 
course by them. 

They had traveled perhaps a mile in this manner, 
when suddenly they heard the tramp of marching 
feet coming in their direction. What to do now be- 
came an immediate and most pressing problem. - 
Ignorant as they were of the surroundings in which 
they found themselves, their only safety seemed ‘to 
be in flight, although no matter in what direction 

168 





a _ into some other party of the enemy. However, the 


> a 


unknown danger was preferable to certain capture; 





a for the second time that day oe sought safety 
in flight. 


4 They had hardly started to run, however, when 
a they heard another body of troops coming from al- 
most the opposite direction. They halted, and Joe 


exclaimed: 


See 


P 
J 


a. 


i 
“§ 


“Looks pretty much as if we were up against it 


hard and fast this time, old fellow. Thete seem to 


_ be Huns on every side of us. Unless we can grow 
wings pretty suddenly it looks as though we have 


: es aaly a one hundred per cent. chance of getting 


Be, 
“Tt looks bad, I’ i admit,” said Blake anxiously. 
ee strained his eyes through the darkness, and a 


4 glow of hope shot through him as he made out 
_ through the blackness what seemed to be the out- 
__ lines of a ruined house. 


“Quick!” he whispered, “over this way, Joe. I 


think there’s some shelter oes ae and we may be 


é: able to lie low until they pass.” 


| i - refuge, stumbling over the rough ground, but pro- are 
: ie ee ses in spite of all obstacles. They Bes 





With renewed hope, the boys made for this 


they w Geet, eae stood in imminent danger of running 





| He not dcved him, for er Penh that their rt 
jective was really a small, brick house, that. had 
apparently been struck by a big shell, as it was now 


little more than a mass of bricks and igi) Ro 


beams. 


They crouched down in ‘the ruins, and had barely ‘ 
settled themselves, when the two advancing columns — 


of German infantry met, almost opposite their shel- ‘i 

. They heard the Germans stop, and exchange 
euttural challenges and replies. Then the two col- 
umns resumed their march, and the sound of their — 


tramping feet gradually died away in the distance. 


_ “Whew!” exclaimed Joe, “it’s lucky you saw this: 
place, Blake. We'd have been frarehing alone bane 


those fellows now, if you hadn't.” 


“Yes, or lying out there shot as spies,” eaten 


Blake grimly. “They’re apt to shoot first, an a : 


a court martial afterward.” 
“If we ever get out of this mess, rll say V we ae 


serve every variety of medal and cross that was ever 
— invented.” : | 


uae 


“T’d swap them all for a nice juicy beefataate hist : | 


at present. I’m just about starved, and that’s 3 TO - 


camouflage, either.” 
“You've got es on me. 


: Oo handed.” 
_ “Remember I'm i in with you on that. 





ey 







| SURROUNDED BY FOES — 171 
_ we'd better get started again, don’t you? We've got 
a long way to go before we get back to our own 

Fines.’ 

“Right you are,” agreed Joe. “Let’s go.” 

The two friends emerged from their hiding place, 
_and, after getting their bearings, resumed their jour- 
ney. But Fate, while helping them once, refused to 
do soa second time. They had traveled perhaps a ; 
mile and a half, when suddenly, seeming to rise out 4 
of the ground in front of them, a German sentry _ 
_ challenged them. 3 
Without a word, swift and deadly as a panther, 
_ Blake sprang on the man and gripped his throat in 

fingers of steel, but as the sentry crashed to the 
_ ground, others of his comrades, who seemed to be 
all about, took the alarm, and in a moment the moy- 
_ ing picture boys found themselves striking out at i 
foes who outnumbered them ten to one. They made ? 

a gallant battle, and for a few minutes held off their ae 
assailants, who were afraid to shoot in the dark, for Be 
_ fear of injuring each other. But the odds were too ing | 
great, and, at length, the two Americans were over- Meee: 
_ born by sheer weight of numbers, and pinned to the | 
ground, The light from an electric flashlight was 
thrown on their faces, and the officer holding it gave _ 
- some curt commands. , 
 “Amerikaner!” he growled, as he recognized their 
uniforms. “Tie the dogs tightly, for they are the 


15 




















have to say before ne are shot.” Cem if es om) 
“Cheerful beggar, isn’t he?” said Joe, “aha had 
caught the sense of this statement. “We're to tell 
them all we know eel ahs we're set ‘up against a wall, | 
Blake.” ye, ee 
“We're safe enough, then,” ul Blake, with a wry t 
grin, “because I don’t imagine we'll tell them much, i 
do your” } Re 
“Silence, there!” growled the German. Talle 
when you are told to, and not else.” Then he gave’ 
some harsh commands to his men, and the Hs: | 
party, with the boys in the center, started off. , 
_ The party consisted of sixteen or eighteen men. 
They had been on patrol duty, but this night had 
been resting in a dugout some distance in back of 
the lines, when the two friends had had the ae ‘ 
tune to run right into them. aa 


| their hands were securely bound behind. eee and 
they were surrounded by ney enemies, who watche 


1h hy 


them warily. 

The party proceeded in silence for nearly an hou 
and then, at a command from the leader, halted i 

front of a low, wooden building, that the boys toc 
to be Hicld Headquarters. The oe oe 








re 


a ey “ee _ 
ph ny ee pe SI a eye See te Se ee rs Pv 


SPS Wer ad cee NS ES ee ee eae 
ox, Sa 4 Rules? c ay * ait .: " 


a 





7 
oo 


| SURROUNDED BY FOES ———éiTz93g 


, together with four of his own men, to enter. 


Th re was nothing for it but to obey, so the boys 
went in, surrounded by the four Germans, with their 
officer bringing up the rear. 


The room was lighted by several oil lamps, and 


contained a large desk and a number of chairs. At 


the desk was seated a burly German, wearing the 
uniform of a captain. He glared balefully at the 
prisoners, while their captor made his report. 

“I know very well who you are,” said the captain, 
when the other had finished his report and saluted. 
“We had report of you to-day, and were on the 


lookout for you. You are the two Yankees who ; 


made us a visit this morning with an aeroplane and 
some moving picture cameras, not so?” 

Blake could see no object in denying this, so he 
admitted the fact. The officer then questioned them 
concerning other pictures they had taken, how long 
they had been taking them, and so forth. The boys 


with their quick wits were more than a match for 


him, however, and gave a quantity of choice misin- 


formation in such a convincing and apparently frank 


manner, that the German was completely fooled, and 


appeared to be greatly satisfied with what they had 
told him when he at last brought the interview to a 
_ close. 


“Take them to the guardhouse,” he ordered Kopf, 


= 





174 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


the lieutenant who had captured them, “and see that 
they are well guarded. They escaped from us once 
to-day. 1 charge you to see that they do not repeat 
the performance.” 

Kopf saluted stiffly, and with a sharp order to 
his men, turned and left the room, followed by cap- 
tives and captors, 


ae ais Ha ea i ania hare 


eS 





CHAPTER XXI 
. . | PRISONERS OF THE HUNS 


7 A sHorT march took the moving picture boys to 
ike guardhouse, where they were delivered over to 
the officer in charge, and soon afterward, after some 
further questioning, they were roughly pushed into 








_ left to their own devices. 
“Well, we’re in an awful mess now,” said Joe 
Bibletatty: “The worst has happened, and we’re 
| Pehutd and fast in the hands of the Huns.” 





2 hungry prisoners,” said Blake. “I wonder if we 
can’t persuade that sentry outside to bring us grub 
of some kind? I’m going totry, anyway.” 
The door to their cell was heavily barred, and out- 
E side a sentry, with his clumsy German rifle over his 
_ shoulder, paced slowly to and fro. On his next 
~ round, as he was passing their door, Blake caught 
i. attention, and pointed meaningly toward his 








Weed tava 


“Yes, and iabihaoe not only prisoners, but mighty 


Ril 








2 Wadhiered apne oohtianedl, on his s measured 


beat. 
“Not much chance there, I ey said Blake. 


“Suppose we'll have to get along as best we can un- _ 


til morning.” : 

“I’m going to sleep, then,” declared Joe. “You 
know, there’s an old eee that he who oon. 
dines.” 

“All right, then,” grinned Blake, “here goes for 
2 swell dinner,” and he stretched his sinewy length 
on the floor. Joe lay down beside him, and both 
boys slept the sleep of exhaustion until they were 
awakened by a harsh voice speaking in German. It 
proved to be that of Kopf, the officer who had id 
fected their capture. When he saw the boys were 
awake, he switched to English, and addressed them. 


“Get up, you!” he commanded, “there is a journey & 
before you. Your fate has not yet been decided, but — 
in the meantime you will be put to work and madeto 


do something useful.” 
He made a gesture, and the boys, not even taking 


ie 


a 
> 


Se oe 


the trouble to answer him, followed him as he turned . - 


and stalked out. He led them to another room, and 


from there, after a scanty breakfast that did little. ‘ 


toward allaying their ravenous hunger, they were 


cn ar 


taken to the entrance, where a big motor truck was é 
standing. They were commanded to get into this, 


which they did, and found it already occupied by 





is a 


cel oo ied 


Se oe sl 








PRISONERS OF THE HUNS 177 


_ some half dozen French prisoners. After they had 
, got in, two Germans, armed with guns and revol- 
vers, entered, and occupied the ends of the two 
parallel seats with which the truck was equipped. 


Oui Ve Fors ia A ae St 
7 Ase (ae fo 
lg et \E woe 4 ie 

: ‘i 


‘ The guards had hardly taken their places, when © 


_ the truck started with a jerk, and the boys were on 


their way to their unknown destination. 
The Americans returned the curious stares of 


i a their fellow prisoners, and after a while Blake struck 








_ up a conversation with one of the poilus who could 
_ speak broken English. From him the boys learned 


that they were being transported to a farm, prob-— 


ably some distance from the battle lines, where they 


_ would be set to work at ploughing, or any of the 
work that is always to be done around a farm. 


_“Nice prospect, isn’t it?” said Blake, glancing 


 quizzically at his friend. ‘‘Plenty of work, and no 
‘wages, is what we're going to get.” 


“Tl bet we don’t get it for very long,” said Joe, 
in a low tone. “Before very long, they'll have a 


- couple of dead Germans lying around the place, and 
we'll be far away from there, or else you and I are 
— losing our grip.” 


“Well, something a little out of the ordinary may 


we'll be a lot better off, though, than if we had beet 


sent to a regular prison camp, anyway.” 


happen, I suppose,” grinned Blake, and the grin did 
not hide a certain steely glint in his eyes. “I think 




















The truck bumped. and fons a hoa r fter 
hour but stopped about noon time, and each of the 
prisoners was given a chunk of coarse black bread, ‘Ke 
and some water from a bottle carried by one of the a 

. guards. NON 

“If they feed us this way all the time, we'll ye 
to make a get-away pretty quick, or we won’t have — 
strength enough left to do anything,” whispered Joe | 

to Blake. “This grub reminds me of the good old i 

oe U.-S. Army chow, it’s so different.” oe 

The truck resumed its tedious journey, and finally, 39 
just before dark, deposited its load of weary prison- : 
ers in front of a large farmhouse. They were taken — 
to the kitchen, where, for the first time since the | 
boys had been on German territory, they ate a ee : 
fying meal. A stolid German farmer and his family 
watched the prisoners while they ate, and exchanged 
guttural comments among themselves. All the time 
the boys were estimating their chances of escape, bu 
there were always two heavily-armed guards in ‘the Y 
room, and they had little doubt that there were many ~ 

-more in the immediate neighborhood. However. 

they did not despair, and resolved to keep keenly on 
the alert for any opportunity that might offer. 

That night the prisoners were quartered in he 
loft of a big barn, and the next morning were set 
to work on the farm. It went sadly against 

- grain, but the two rch knew that. their re 












































"PRISONERS OF THE HUNS 199 


Fehadoe of escape lay in doing what they were told 
for the present, and being ready for any chance of 
escape when it might come along. 

For three days they went through the monotonous 
‘routine, with nothing to distinguish one day from 
another. But on the evening of the fourth day, 
| be when they were on their way to the farmhouse for 

_ supper, they saw an automobile stop in front of it, 
4 from which three German officers emerged. The 
_ boys were near enough to get a good view of their 
= faces, and the countenance of one seemed familiar 
to both of them. 

a - “T’ve seen that man before!” 
you recognize him, Blake?” 
d 3 “Yes, Ive seen him somewhere recently,” said 
Blake. “Let’s see—why, that’s the Boche that 
shoved a gun in our faces when our aeroplane 
landed, and got our films!” said Blake, with sup- 
_ pressed excitement. 
“Right you are,” replied Joe excitedly. “I won- 
; fee Ss if, by any earthly chance, he has still got ae 
films! phe | E 
 “That’s hard to say,” returned Blake. “But he 
edd 5 big handbag with him, and there’s just a 

chance that he might have them. I don’t just see - 

where it’s going to help us much if he has, though.” 

s “Well, if we could get hold of them, we could de- 
_ stroy them, even if we couldn’t get back with them,” 





a eh 


exclaimed Joe. “Do 





39 


9? 








a Ne hee GAS ERTS be an 
“eu Si * 








180 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


said Joe. ‘Anyway, it’s up to us to find out some 
way if he’s got them with him.” 

“One of the guards can speak a little English,” 
said Blake. “I was kidding him along yesterday, 
and he got so he could talk to me without looking as 
though he intended to run his bayonet through me 
the next second. Maybe I can get a little informa- 
tion out of him.” 

“Go to it, old fellow,” said Joe, “see if you can't 
pump him while we’re eating dinner.” 

“Tl try,” promised Blake; and the two entered 
the kitchen together. 





CHAPTER XX 
THE STRUGGLE IN THE CAPTAIN’S ROOM 


BLAKE Lae the first opportunity of questioning ied 
3 the German soldier with whom he had struck upan 4 
: _ acquaintance, and learned, to his great delight, that = 

the German officer, Captain Petz, did indeed have tt 
% ith: him several small, round boxes, which Blake 
had little doubt contained the films, although on 
i this point the soldier could tell him little. More- 
gs over, Blake was afraid to question him too closely, 
for fear of arousing his suspicions. But he had 











Z learned enough to satisfy him. He related jubilantly 2 
a to Joe all that he had learned. 





“And now,” he concluded, “if we can only make 
a get-away with those films, our being captured will 
turn out to have ga a blessing in disguise.” 
“Right you are,” agreed Joe enthusiastically. 
But I wonder how our sentry friend knew that 
is Captain Petz had the films?’ Ae 
“Oh, it seems he had heard the noble captain 
asting about it to some of his friends, and also 

































182 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BAI hs E 
making the statement that “the yokes pige 
never get them now. So it looks to me as though ‘ 
it were up to us to give the distinguished captain ibe 
the jolt of his young life.” aha 

“Wonder how long he is going to be here?” spec: : 
ulated Joe. “We'll have to act ney or he'll Ligh 
gone, and the films with him.” — os 

“That’s exactly the point,” said Blake. He is 4 
‘going to-morrow some time, and expects to take the | 
films with him and turn them in at headquarters.” — 

“Great Scott!” ejaculated Joe, “that doesn’t leave 
us much time, does it?” ue 

“That’s the worst of it,” admitted Blake, wae an 
anxious frown. “It’s all very well for us to ralle 
about getting away, and taking the films with us. — 
But the big question is: how are we going to do it? 
My mind seems entirely ai of useful ideas. [See ‘ 
if you can suggest anything.” Nee 
be pay thing I can think of to do,” said Joe 
slowly, “is to wait until after dark to-night, and then | 
see if we can’t get past the guards and into ‘the: 
house. Once in, we'll have to locate the captain’ 5. 
room, and get hold of the films, and ow take, a 
















_ STRUGGLE IN THE CAPTAIN'S ROOM 183 


é this place, we've Bat to take big chances, and we 

might By well do it to-night as some other time, I 

suppose.” 

In preparation for escape, the moving picture 

__ boys had already laid by a secret supply of food, and 

4 _ Blake had managed to secure a rough map of the 
~ surrounding country, so they were not entirely with- 


; ; out resources. They planned to elude the sentries if 
_ possible, but, in the event of being challenged, to 
attack and overpower the man before he could give 
the alarm. After much discussion, they decided to 

q make their attempt as soon as the inmates of the 

4 A house had retired for the night, which was usually 


St 


_ between ten and eleven o'clock. 
By the time they had reached this conclusion, the 
_ boys were keyed up to a pitch of excitement that 
_ boded ill for those who might attempt to stand be- 
tween them and liberty. They were resolved to get 
‘Ne back to their own people, and, if possible, take the 
_ precious films with them. 
q After supper had been eaten, they were marched 
- back to the barn where they were quartered. Of 
course, neither one thought of going to sleep. They 
ae Be at keenly on the alert, and were impatient 
- for the fateful time to come. The intervening hours 
dragged by interminably, but at last they heard the 
orks strike ten, and knew that the time for their 








heer i 















ee a ee a= 


_ whisper from Blake, slipped ane fen thor cone fs 
beds. There was always a sentry posted at the door, 
| but the boys had no intention of going out by such 
an obvious route. They had discovered a small sky- 
y light in the roof of the barn, and they now climbed 
| noiselessly up the ladder leatie. to the EPPE story 
eh: of the structure. : 
Everywhere was pitch btaelinets but they on 
studied their ground well and had little difficulty in 
finding their way now. They soon found themselves 4 . 
at the skylight, which showed a lighter blur against a 
the black expanse of the barn roof. The skylight 
was only fastened by a hook, it apparently never 
having occurred to their captors that the prisoner 
might avail themselves of this route of escape. ae 
But at any rate, the two Americans soon found 













fingers, and oe Worle their way down to. a 
edge. From there it-was a drop of almost twenty 
feet to the ground, but the boys knew they were 










alarm the sentry. But fortamatels it did ata 
soon Joe, breathless and somewhat shaken, 
standing safely beside his friend. tees 










a STRUGGLE IN THE CAPTAIN'S ROOM 185 


| 


he house.” | 
The boys were het on the point of starting for 
_ the farmhouse, when a sudden tumult in the build- 
5 ing caused them to start back. Lights blazed up at 
several of the windows, and the boys could faintly 
hear the hum of voices. 

“What in the world do you suppose is the matter 
now?” whispered Joe. 


; “So far, so good,” mnerered Blake, ‘ ‘and now for 





_ about all we can do is lie low and see what happens.” 
The two friends crouched down in the deep 
_ shadow cast by the barn, and before long, through 
Z the silent night air, heard the sound of an automo- 
bile approaching at high speed. 
“We've got to find out what’s happening, that’s 
all there is to it,” muttered Blake. ‘“Let’s creep 
around to the front of the house, Joe, and see what 
swe can find out. If we keep close in the Sa I 
think we can make it without being seen.’ 


the boys stole past the sheltering side of the barn, 


and crept cautiously toward the house. They knew 


that detection would mean certain death, and ad- 
ee vanced as cautiously and with as little noise as two 
cats. They escaped detection while crossing the 
space between the house and the barn, and soon had 
worked themselves around to the front of the fartne 








; 


a d 7 Cs ‘ i 
fi ¢ as. Bk ee © ae 
Le palettes $3 2 et er De 
Flay ei tag SOR ll ete Ol Ro EE cy 


-“T haven't the least idea,” responded Blake. “But — 


With hearts beating with suppressed excitement, 




















a small handbag, and evidently a ) déctor: pe 
- from it. | eh 

“That’s what all the excite about,” wie . 
pered Blake to Joe, “there’s somebody sick in the — 
house, and that doctor has just answered a hurry-up BY! 
call.” wave 

“Looks that way,” adenttied Joe. “But whatever ae 
it is, it looks as though it had put a crimp in our, 
aa schemes. How are we going to do a when 
aoe: everybody is up eine ign: eae 





ing some rapid thinking it may ‘be a help ‘iste O i) 
a hindrance. Everybody will be so eawd over r this 





general confusion, and ‘he make our escape.” 

“Possibly,” whispered Joe early: 
shall we go about it?” | . 
“Come with me,” said Blake briefly. ON 
He had noticed that when the doctor ek been ad- me 












ay ones for the moment well screened from. che 
ay non Without any. Deals hesitation, ay they 2 | 


t 


























Ve STRUGGLE IN THE CAPTAIN'S ROOM 387 


ihe a Blake slightly in the lead. They had now 
_ gone too far to draw back, and Blake boldly slipped 
inside, followed closely by Joe. 

The boys found themselves in a dimly lighted hall, 
_ and as a first precaution Blake blew out the lamp 
that furnished the light. Standing in the darkness, 


muffled voices By oead: and chad that they pro- 
ceeded from the room where the sick person lay. 
They had only a rough idea of where Captain Petz’ 
_ room was, gleaned by Blake from the friendly sen- 
etry. © 
‘They knew, however, that it was on the upper 
floor, and so began to mount the stairs, pausing to 
_. listen at every step. Once or twice loose boards 
_ creaked alarmingly, but, as Blake had said, the 
household was so upset that their chances of success 
were greater than if it had been plunged in slumber. 
; ‘It did not take the youths long to reach the head 
of the stairs, but there they paused. At the head 
-_was an old-fashioned, marble-topped table, and on 
this table stood a small bottle marked in German 
“Chloroform.” 
_- *No telling when that might come in handy,” 
« thought Blake, and slipped the bottle into his pocket. 
di The boys now saw that the sick room was the first 
one that opened into the hallway, which ran almost 
_ the entire length of the upper story. If Blake’s in- 















would fave to pass he sick room, the door of whe 3 
_ was partly open, allowing a broad beam of ighey to an 
escape. | 





ae up their venture altogether, they walked guiekly . 
but quietly past the open door. & 

They had hardly reached the comparative obeeae ay 
ity beyond, when someone, apparently a servant, 
rushed out, but fortunately, turned away from the 
: boys, and hurried to the little table. After a hur-— 
ried search, he muttered a German imprecation, and— 
the boys knew that he must be looking for the ba 








a 


Of course, neither of the bys knew but iat ght . 







STRUGGLE IN THE CAPTAIN'S ROOM 189 


_ But now the good fortune that had seemed to 

_ accompany them so far, appeared to have deserted 
_ them. For at a large mirror stood the German cap- 
g tain, Petz, and as he heard the soft closing of the 
_ door, he whirled with a startled exclamation. Both 
q boys realized that they must act quickly, or in an- 
4 other moment all would be lost. Quick as an at- 
a tacking tiger, Blake was across the room, and be- 
q fore the German could gather his wits together suf- 
3 _ ficiently to cry out and give the alarm, he found his 
_ throat caught in a grasp of steel. He attempted to 
_ struggle, but quick as a flash Joe had pinioned his 
J PAETRG 

For a brief space the three swayed back and forth, 

for the German was a large and powerful man, and 
if he had not been taken so entirely by surprise, 
could have offered a formidable resistance. With 
_ those merciless fingers at his throat, however, his 
strength ebbed quickly away, and suddenly he grew 
_ limp, and slumped to the floor. 
“Tie him up and gag him,” panted Blake. “I sup- 

¥ pose we ought to kill him, but I can’t do for a man 
— incold blood. We can rip apt a couple of sheets and 
- make them do to tie him up.” 
| _ This was no sooner said than done, and wher 






















.._ But, although they ented high and low, they could 
oe | find no trace of them. yan 
ie “Worst luck ever!” ieee Tbe: ° " i* 
“Guess we'll have to question this Boche,” said — 
Blake, “and if he won’t talk, we'll see if we can’t — 
persuade him with his own revolver, which t see 
lying on the bureau.” Sua 
The pinioned officer had been following mee 


with his eyes, and his face was contorted into- aa) 





and, having suid the heave ‘weapon, bent ove 
the Cane ge ; 


yonder,” said Blake to Joe. “Write on it that we 
want Ge know where the films are, and that if | 








Army.” 

Joe hastily scribbled this message on a sheet eth 
paper, and held it where the German could | re it to 
At the same time, Blake pressed the cold m | 
of the revolver against Petz’ head. f 
But the German, ce was not | without at 



















STRUGGLE IN THE CAPTAIN'S ROOM rot 


ing malicious eyes. 

“Untie one of his hands, Je ” directed Blake, 

_ “so that he can write an answer.” 

Joe did so, and the officer took the pen that was 

__ offered him, and in angular German script, wrote: 

_ “The films that you want have been removed. to a 

safe place, and I will not tell you where. You can 

kill me if you like, but that will not give you your 

pictures.” 

_-—- “The worst of it is, he knows we won’t kill him, 

A, wate Americans and not Huns,” said Blake. “If 
the conditions were reversed he’d wipe us out with- 

out compunction, and he no doubt thinks we’re weak 


“on it just the same.’ 4 

_ Blake had hardly finished Gries when new 
came an imperative rap on the door, and a voice 
_ said in German: 
% "Herr Captain, let me in! I have something t to 
Eick you of the utmost importance.’ ; 

_ The speaker rattled the door impatiently, and the 
"startled boys looked at each other, each with the 










“now! oy 


He ee “Ts eye wrong? Speak eet or 





e brute courage, only looked at his captors with sneer- 


as not finishing oe off, but he knows he can count 


ce ‘same eto in his eyes. What was to be done ye 


% “What is the matter?” the voice Bards asked) ai a 
a note of anxiety and suspicion replacing that of m= 





192 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


I shall break the door down. Hans! Otto!” calling 
to two of the servants, “come here, immediately.” 

“We've got to get out of this!” whispered Blake, 
“and the only way is out the window. Come along, 
Joe, but don’t make any noise.” 

The two moving picture boys stepped swiftly to 
the windows, which gave on the roof of the porch. 
Noiselessly they opened one sash, and in less time 
than it takes to tell, were out on the sloping roof. 

“Over we go, Joe,” said Blake, in a tense whisper. 
“Tt isn’t much of a drop, and we haven’t any choice, 
anyhow.” 

The two boys dropped almost at the same moment, 
landing noiselessly in a soft flower bed. From the 
room that they had just quitted they could hear the 
sound of blows, and knew that the threat to break 
down the door was being carried into execution. 

The boys picked themselves up, and ran swiftly 
but silently for the road. The chance of getting the 
films back was gone, but the two Americans still 
hoped to make good their escape. 


CHAPTER XXIII 
A PERILOUS SITUATION 


THE two moving picture boys had reached the 
gate, when suddenly from behind the doctor’s auto- 
mobile walked the sentry whose duty it was to patrol 
part of the boundary line of the farm. Taken by 
surprise, the man gaped open-mouthed for a second 
or two, but then swung his rifle to his shoulder. In 
another second he would have fired, but that second 
was not vouchsafed him. Blake still had the revol- 
ver that had formerly belonged to Captain Petz, 
and, quick as a flash, he fired at the sentry. The 
latter crumpled up without a sound, but the report, 
ringing out on the quiet night, set all the guards, 
on the farm into life. The boys heard the notes of 
a bugle from the guardhouse, and knew that soon an 
armed force would be at their heels. 

“Fere’s where we’ve got to do some awful sprint- 
ing!” panted Joe. ““They’ll be after us hot and heavy 
now! Guess our only chance is to get to the woods 
and hide there until they quit looking for us.” 

103 


si 
Palake nodded his heal don eee this time the roa 
needed all their wind for running. They had noted. fy 
_ (when planning their escape, that a thick stretch of is 
ne woodland began about half a mile from the me 


Pie down the teed and he knew that nhede were — 

electric flashlights in the hands | of te German 

ards 3 : “lenge 
es an idea came to him, and he panted ~ 


"pretty soon.’ , RAY: Pe lic aaa 
“That’s so,” panted jo Pe Cee a 
caer both crowded close to the ditch, sane — 


the friendly shelter of the —. and ina sI ae 


Vat 
2) 235, 


_ time reached the first trees. price re off the 


Ey 


ie stopped for a muchsdeede rest. : | 
_ night air came the shouts ahd cries sof their pursuers, 


. ~ “Guess we got off just i in th 
iY SHE Herd ocean to use that car in the | fir 





AY 







it PERILOUS SITUATION 198 


ce sae fave had us long before.we could have 
gotten to these trees.” 

ie “Yes, but who expects a Hun to ede ahi 
: that’s intelligent?’ asked Joe, and Blake had no an- 
_ swer for him. | ” 
The possibility of capture was still imminent, as 





when the boys heard it returning. The Germans 


knew that the Americans could not have gone far 


_ without being overtaken by the automobile, so they 


__ brush in every direction. The boys heard them com- 
ing closer, and started to penetrate deeper into the 
woods. They wete going down a small hill, when 
_ suddenly Joe slipped and fell, but was on his feet 
almost immediately. 

_ “That’s funny,” he muttered, ied as though 
| L. stepped into a big hole, and I just saved pet by. 
_ twisting to one side.” 

Tags: “Well, never mind, as long as you’re not hurt,” 
Ei said Blake, impatiently. “Let’s go.” 

“Wait a minute, Blake,” said Joe excitedly, 
-“there’s some kind of an eponine through these 
bushes. I’m going to investigate.” 

_ Pressing through a thick clump of bushes, ue sud- 
denly seemed to disappear into the earth. A mo- 









We the boys knew that the patch of woodland was not. 
i extensive, and that a strict search would be inaugu- 
_ rated. The pursuit swept by, but had not gone far, 


returned and then entered the woods, beating the 


ment Nee Blake heard hiss voice, 
Joe reappeared in the land of the living. ue 
 “There’s a cave-in here,” 
his friend, “and it’s so well Ridden: by buchos! 
“unless one of the Germans just happened on it 
_ accident, the way I did, we could jae out ae 
“never would find us. Come on in,’ Ek 


: Moods who are out after our Bre ‘Tn y we g0. | ni 
He followed Joe tote st dense ns pas 









A PERILOUS SITUATION “1907. 





refuge. They had picked up enough German to 
understand something of what was being said, and 
in spite of their peril could not help being amused 
at the chagrin of the enemy. | | 
“Tt is even as they say,” growled one, “these 
_ ‘Americans are more cunning than Satan himself. 
You can never tell what they may be able to do.” 

_  “T think the old Nick himself must have come to 
their assistance to-night,” said another, “He must 
have flown away with them, or we should surely 
have found them before this.” | 

| “Never mind talking so much,” growled a ser- 
 geant; “‘we know they must be in these woods some- 
where. But we will not hunt any more to-night. 
We'll wait until daylight comes to our assistance. 
_ Meantime, I will post guards all about this wood- 
f land, and to-morrow we shall surely find them. | 
ee Then we will shoot the Yankees like the dogs they 
eeeare.!! | ; 

“Maybe two sii play at that game,” whispered 
_ Blake to Joe. “I could pot him so easily right now | 
with this automatic that it would be a shame to take | 
» the money. He may not find us as easily as he 
Ly thinks. And, anyway,” he added, “the man that — 
does find us, if anyone does, will be eee! and en- i 
A eed out of luck, I hope to tell you.” 





































of the Ue ee 

As it grew lighter, ecu dees straggl din 
through the bushes to enable them to see what a is 
ner of place it was that had so opportunely come to 
their rescue. They found that the cave was only i" 
small one, sohes giving them room to move ab Bs 





dark, and once more woe away ‘baffled. 
The boys had enough food to Aa them ‘ 


out, they were not to eed all a it, They. tay 
in their cave all that day, aot turns at s 





A PERILOUS SITUATION 199 


on the alert, as he was eager to grasp at any chance 
of escape that might present itself. 

The wagon drew closer, and in his anxiety to get 
a better view, Blake ventured to part the bushes a 
trifle. In a short time the wagon came in sight. 
Blake then saw that it contained two men, and, as 
it drew nearer, he recognized one of them. Both 
were dressed in the military gray of the German 
Army, and the taller of the two men, who was driv- 
ing, was none other than Captain Petz, of the Im- 
perial German Army! 


CHAPTER XXIV 
PUTTING IT OVER 


For a moment, Blake’s heart almost stood still as 
a wild plan formed itself like lightning in his brain. 

There could be no doubt about the identification. 
It was getting dusk, but there was still light enough 
to make out the man’s features distinctly. Those 
features had been indelibly engraved on his memory 
during the fierce struggle in the captain’s room. It 
was he beyond a question. 

The other man wore the uniform of a fiewtadaate 
and was slighter in form than his colleague. He did 
not look as though he would be hard to master if it 
came to a tussle. But the captain himself, as, Blake 
had learned from experience, would be hard to 
handle. 

Blake’s first impulse was to draw the heavy re- 
volver that he had taken from the bureau in the 
captain’s room. But he dismissed this even as he 
was reaching for the weapon. There were too many 
Germans around for that. 

200 






: Instantly he beckoned to Joe. 
ies a itiach: ye comrade was at his side. | ae 
| tual fof Petz, Joe,” Blake whispered. “Follow me, a 
J ut don’ t make a noise. ih ll tell vay my plan as we) le 

















ae able to Paine sues their lines. We'll Bik 
et it. wit the worst comes to the worst, 
the r | But T don’t want to use 4 







202 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEAIBLDS «| 


Germans. Evidently something was the matter with 
the harness, for the captain’s comrade climbed down 
and busied himself for a moment adjusting some- 
thing near the horse’s head. 

The boys crept closer until they were not more 
than twenty feet away. It was pitch dark now, and 
the shadow of the woods was no longer necessary 
for concealment. : 

The lieutenant climbed in again and settled him- 
self in his seat. The captain gathered up the reins 
and the horse started. 

“Now,” whispered Blake. 

A. slight run carried them to the back of the 
wagon, which had just begun to move. They caught 
hold of the tailboard and lightly swung themselves 
up. 

The captain and lieutenant had begun an ani- 


mated conversation. Blake drew the vial of chloro-— 


form from his pocket and saturated his handker- 
chief. Then he passed the vial to Joe, who did the 
same to his. 


Stealthily as cats they coves up to the front of — 


the wagon. Then their right arms shot out. Blake 
had selected the captain while the lieutenant was left 
to Joe. 

With their right arms they encircled the necks of 
the Germans and with their left they pressed the 
saturated handkerchiefs against their faces. 





PUTTING IT OVER 203 


For an instant the Germans were paralyzed by 
the suddenness of the attack. Then there was a 
fierce reaction and they struggled desperately to rise 
from their seats and turn upon their foes. But the 
arms of the boys were like steel and never relaxed 
an inch while the stupefying drug quickly got in its 
deadly work. A minute longer and the Germans fell 
back limp and unconscious in the boys’ arms. 

The boys laid the Huns down on the floor of the 
wagon and then Blake devoted himself to quieting’ 
the horse that had been alarmed by the commotion 
and was.threatening to bolt. He soon had the ani- 
mal under control and then turned to Joe. 

“We put that over all right, eh?” he said with. 
exultation in his voice. . 

“Worked like a charm,” replied Joe. “TI tell you 
what, Blake, there’s no discount on that gray mat- 
ter of yours. And now that we’ve got these fellows 
where we want them, what comes next?” 

“The first thing we have to do is to get off this 
road,’ answered Blake. “It seems to be a pretty 
lonely one, but some one may come along any min- 
ute. I’m going to drive the horse a little way into 
the woods and tie him there. It won’t do to turn 
him loose, for it will be thought that some accident 
has happened and they’ll have searching parties on 
the hunt. You keep your eyes on these fellows while 
I’m driving and if you see any signs of their coming 


204 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


back from the land of dreams give them another 
dose of the chloroform. ‘There’s plenty left in the 
bottle.” 

Blake took the reins, and, driving very slowly, 
gradually worked his way into the woods until he 
was some distance from the road. Here he climbed 
down, tied the horse, and as a precaution against his 
neighing fastened a strap lightly about his jaws. 

Then they let down the tailboard of the wagon, 
lifted the captain and lieutenant to the ground, and 
with feverish haste began to strip them of their uni- _ 
forms. 





CHAPTER XXV, 
THE LOST FILMS—CONCLUSION 


It was not the easiest thing in the world to handle 
and turn over the heavy bodies of the Germans as © 
they took off their clothes, and the dense darkness 
added to the difficulty, but it was accomplished at 
last. 

The boys handled the garments with distaste. 
‘They had learned to associate their wearers with the 
countless atrocities that the Germans had committed 
and it went against the grain to put on those hated 
uniforms. 

“It sure comes hard to put on these things,” 
growled Joe, as he struggled into the lieutenant’s 
uniform which proved a tight fit. 

“T know just how you feel,” said Blake. “But 
this is a matter of life or death and we can’t be 
squeamish. Hustle now, for every minute is worth 
gold.” : 

Their prisoners, under the rough handling that 


they had undergone, began to show signs of return- 
205 


ey 


Pubs ean 


206, PICTURE BOYS on RENCE A rTLEPI 


ing consciousness and moaned a 
restlessly. ‘ i NE See rae 
“A little more of that chiorof ae aaa: Y 

Blake. “We can’t afford to let them. wake up yet 
Just let’s get these uniforms buttoned | up and the 


ne we'll tie their hands and feet and gag them. The 


it won’t matter how soon they wake uct ify we mak 


a good job of it. eee if ee betes ceedery 


“We re letting them off cay at ‘hat i said Joe. inf 


_us if they had us in the same fix, x ce of bullets 
“rom that automatic and it would be all over wit 
sonra go on the Sa that El 
no ee | on 
“That’s not aay their principle ‘but t et pr 


- tice,” replied Blake. “But it isn’t in the America a 
: : blood to kill an unarmed and helpless 8 man. a ‘sure 


-oners. We ace i able then, to get out tof ze i 
what they have done with our films.” hue 


“Nothing doing,” said Joe. We'll — al 
can do to get back ourselves, let alone lugging 


: - Heinies anerey as ae And as aa 






















207 
about securing ae i ee They tied their 
hands and feet so securely that they felt sure they 
could not get free from the bonds. 
: a4 “A magician would find his work cut out a him 
) wriggle out of these knots,” remarked Joe with 
satisfaction, when they had finished. “And now for 
e gags.” 
ae. “Be d better ee that till the last minute,” said 
Blake with some hesitation. “They’re finding it 
I ard to breathe now and I don’t want to choke them 
‘to death. But we'll make the gags and have them 
- eady. In the meantime, we'll hunt through this 
% wagon and see if we can rustle some grub. We're 
Tikely enough to need some before we get back to 
our lines. And hand me that rug there under the 
_ T’ll throw it over these fellows to make up for 
their lack of clothes.” 
__ Joe climbed into the wagon and pulled out the 
: which he threw out to his comrade, Then he 
oand under the seats. : 












t Aatiod, i 

weight, the size, everything! We ve mee 
_ Blake, we’ve got them! thes in and handle 
yourself. i 








i uh was right. 
Both lots of them! ii ‘i exulted, : “Those of t the 






them both! Say, he must be the one that ae 
handles those things and everything that is capt ? 
goes to him. Say, Joe, old fink maybe we aren t 1m 











Tuck!” i | 
The two boys fairly hogged each other he 
delight. a 








: exclaimed Blake, when their first excitem bores 





from under the influence oe fhe ine and pa ny 
ing to rise to his feet. His ona 












; rose mot fae down the road. There was the sharp 
ack of rifles and the rattle of machine guns. Then, 
al ter a while, the noise seemed to come nearer and 


They’ re fighting’ !’ cried Blake. ‘We must be 
a et deal closer to the battle lines than ever we —™” 


i 


: Hi: met a peatany of Germans coming back | 
r ie road in retreat, while behind them came 


~ i 4 - c i 


@ 


210 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


and he motioned to Blake Stewart an Joe Duncan 
to walk before him. 

Just at that moment, a star shell arose and in its 
radiance the moving picture boys recognized Tom 
Wentworth. 

“Hello Tom!” said Blake, ir wats \s his i og 
to laugh. 

Tom Wentworth’s face was the very picture of 
amazement. 

“The movie boys!” he exclaimed joyously. “We 
all thought you were killed or in a German prison. 


And here I was nearly putting a brace of bullets in — 


you. But how did you manage to get those uni- 
forms?” | 

In a few words Blake, with many interrip by 
Joe, explained the situation. 

“Well, maybe everyone won't be glad to see you,” 
said Wentworth. “They’ll fairly wring your hands 


off. That pal of yours has been grieving himself to 


death. And here I was patting myself on the back, 


thinking I had captured two German officers all by ; 


my lonesome,” he added, with a happy grin. “But 


I’m gladder to have you fellows back than I would — 


be to capture and march into headquarters the whole 


German army.” 
“Well, you can have your officers all the same, 
though there won’t be much glory in it,” laughed 


Blake, as he gave Wentworth directions for finding : 





THE LOST FILMS—CONCLUSION 21T 


the Germans in the woods, where he and Joe had 
left them gagged and bound. ) 

The attack had been on a limited scale, 
but had resulted in a brilliant success, and many 
more prisoners than Captain Petz and his comrade 
were taken back by the victorious American 
troops. 

Wentworth had not exaggerated the welcome 
waiting for the boys. Macaroni went almost crazy 
with delight. Mr. Hadley and the men of the pic- 
ture company mauled and pounded them until they 
were sore, and the girls cried with relief and pleas- 
ure. Even C. C., for once, was all smiles, though he 
could not forbear remarking that influenza was rag- 
ing in the German army and that he thought the 
boys would get it from the uniforms they were wear- 
ing. 

Their commander, too, was more than cordial, 
and everywhere they went they met with congratu- 
lations from the soldier boys, with whom they were 
great favorites. 

And to their great delight, the films, which they 
had feared might have been light-struck or had sus- 
tained some other damage in their wanderings, 
proved to be in perfect condition and developed won- 
derfully. 

The moving-picture boys were dead tired but un- 
speakably happy when at last they were in their old 


212 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS 


familiar quarters and prepared to retire for the night. 
“T guess we can call it a day,’”’ remarked Joe. “Glad 
to,”’ responded Blake. | 

And now the World War is a thing of the past and 
many of those who were Uncle Sam’s bitterest 
enemies are his warmest friends. 

The Movie Boys were glad to do their duty even 
under fire, but they were likewise glad when the time 
came to go home. And how glad they were to see 
their native land again and meet a host of old friends! 

And among those friends were three boys new to 
these pages, Frank Durham, Randy Powell and Pep 
Smith. These three were in the movie game also, 
but in a different way. They were running a motion 
picture theatre, and what stirring times they had 
doing this will be told in another volume, called 
“The Movie Boys’ First Showhouse”; or “Fighting 
for a Foothold in Fairlands.” 

And now, for the time being, let us take leave of Joe 
and Blake; wishing them well. 


THE END 








Ae 
4 
% 
‘ 


The Movie Boys Series 


By VICTOR APPLETON 


— 
2 aur RO ll 





THE MOVIE BOYS ON CALL, 
or Filming the Perils of A Great City. Published January 2, peak 
THE MOVIE BOYS IN THE WILD WEST, 
or Stirring Days Among the Cowboys and Indians, 
Published January 28, chee 
THE MOVIE BOYS AND THE WRECKERS, 
or Facing the Perils of the Deep. Published February 28, 1926 
THE MOVIE BOYS IN THE JUNGLE, 
_—s or Lively Times Among the Wild Beasts. Published March 28, 1926 
‘THE MOVIE BOYS IN EARTHQUAKE LAND, 
, or Filming Pictures and Strange Perils. Published April 28, 1926 
_ THE MOVIE BOYS AND THE FLOOD, 
ee _ or Perilous Days on the Mighty Mississippi. Published May 28, 1926 
THE MOVIE BOYS IN PERIL, 
aa: or Strenuous Days Along the Panama Canal. 
eRe Published June 28, 1926 
THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER THE SE A, 
y aeraae | or The Treasure of the Lost Ship. Published July 28, 1926 
THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER FIRE, 
or The Search for the Stolen Film. Published August 28, 1926 
THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER UNCLE SAM, 
Sih i or Taking Pictures for the Army. Published September 28, 1926 
Lar THE MOVIE BOYS’ FIRST SHOWHOUSE, 
hes: or Fighting for a Foothold in Fairlands. Published October 28, 1926 
THE MOVIE BOYS AT SEASIDE PARK, 
or The Rival Photo Houses of the Boardwalk. 
Published November 28, 1926 
THE MOVIE BOYS ON BROADWAY, 
or The Mystery of the Missing Cash Box. 
Published December 28, 1926 
THE MOVIE BOYS’ OUTDOOR EXHIBITION, 
or the Film that Solved the Mystery. Published January 28, 1927 
THE MOVIE BOYS’ NEW IDEA, 
_or Getting the Best of Their Enemies. Published February 28, 1927 
THE MOVIE BOYS AT THE BIG FAIR, 
or The Greatest Film Ever Exhibited. Published March 28, 1987, 
THE MOVIE BOYS’ WAR SPECTACLE, 


i] 


_ Garden City Publishing Co., Inc. 
| Garden City LAE fa New York 












or The Film that Won the Prize. Published April 28, 1927 








The Frank Allen Series 


By GRAHAM B. FORBES 





FRANK ALLEN’S SCHOOLDAYS, 
or The All Around Rivals of Columbia High. 
Published January 2, 1926 


FRANK ALLEN PLAYING TO WIN, 


or the Boys of Columbia High on the Ice. 
Published January 7, 1926 


FRANK ALLEN IN WINTER SPORTS, 
or Columbia High on Skates and Iceboats. 
Published February 7, 1926 


FRANK ALLEN AND HIS RIVALS, 
or The Boys of Columbia High in Track Athleties. 
Published March 7, 1926 


FRANK ALLEN—PITCHER : 
or The Boys of Columbia High on the Diamond. 
Published April 7, 1926 


FRANK ALLEN—HEAD OF THE CREW, 
or The Boys of Columbia High on the River. 
Published May 7, 1926 


FRANK ALLEN IN CAMP, 
or Columbia High and the School League Rivals. — 


Published June 7, 1926 — 





Garden City Publishing Co., Ine. 


Garden City - ~ New York 





a a) PS sree 
ete oo ee iowa = > 2 
—— ee en ee 





THE NAT RIDLEY RAPID FIRE 
DETECTIVE STORIES 


By NAT RIDLEY, Jr. 





GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY, 


or Nat Ridley’s Great Race Track Case. 
Published January 2, 1926 
TRACKED TO THE WEST, 


or Nat Ridley at the Magnet Mine. 
Published January 21, 1926 
IN THE NICK OF TIME, 


or Nat Ridley Saving a Life. Published February 21, 1926 


THE CRIME ON THE LIMITED, 
or Nat Ridley in the Follies. Published March 21, 1926 


A DARING ABDUCTION, 
or Nat Ridley’s Biggest Fight. Published April 21, 1926 


THE STOLEN NUGGETS OF GOLD, 
or Nat Ridley on the Yukon. Published May 21, 1926 


A SECRET OF THE STAGE, 


or Nat Ridley and the Bouquet of Death. 
: Published June 21, 1926 
THE GREAT CIRCUS MYSTERY, 


or Nat Ridley on a Crooked Trail. Published July 21, 1926 
A SCREAM IN THE DARK, 
or Nat Ridley’s Crimson Clue. Published August 21, 1926 


THE RACE TRACK CROOKS, 


or Nat Ridley’s Queerest Puzzle. 
Published September 212, 1926 








Garden City Publishing Co., lnc. 
Garden City - - New York 
Saar a ae a TLR 





The Dave Fearless Series 
By ROY ROCKWOOD 





DAVE FEARLESS AFTER A SUNKEN 
TREASURE, 
or The Rival Ocean Divers. Published January 2, 1926 


DAVE FEARLESS ON A FLOATING ISLAND, 


or The Cruise of the Treasure Ship. 
Published January 14, 1926 


DAVE FEARLESS AND THE CAVE OF 
MYSTERY, 
or Adrift on the Pacific. Published February 14, 1926 


DAVE FEARLESS AMONG THE ICEBERGS, 
or The Secret of the Eskimo Igloo. 
Published March 14, 1926 


DAVE FEARLESS WRECKED AMONG 
SAVAGES, 


or The Captives of the Head Hunters. 
Published April 14, 1926 


DAVE FEARLESS AND HIS BIG RAFT, 
or Alone on the Broad Atlantic. Published May 14, 1926 





Garden City Publishing Co., Ine. 
Garden City - - New York 





AN atta 


rg ie par ee 
“Pit oe de ae a 









Me ‘Smashing Western and Sea Stories 
Pe, i Face Exciting Dangers! Live Thrilling Romance ! 








New Titles will be Added Constantly to this List 


DON QUICKSHOT OF THE RIO GRANDE by ped cy Chalmers 
LOADED DICE by Edwin L. Sabin 
SONTAG OF SUNDOWN by PF. C. Tuttle 
 , SPAWN OF THE DESERT by W. C. Tuttle 
ARIZONA ARGONAUTS by H. Bedford-Jones 
THE LURE OF PIPER’S GLEN by Theodore Goodridge Roberts 
APACHE VALLEY by Arthur Chapman 
THE CHALLENGE OF THE NORTH by James B. Hendryx 
“THE SECOND MATE by H. Bedford-Jones 
‘THE DEVIL’S PAYDAY by W. C. Tuttle 
+ THE CANYON OF THE GREEN DEATH by F. R. Buckley 


5 ie ur SKY HIGH CORRAL by Ralph Cummins 

at ve THE SEVEN PEARLS OF SHANDI by Magruder Maury 
_ . THE LAST GRUBSTAKE by Anthony M. Rud 

~~ THE SHERIFF OF PECOS by H. Bedford-Jones 
~~ ‘THE WONDERSTRANDS by Samuel Alexander White 


THE NIGHT RIDER by Elmer B. Mason 
THE PHANTOM WOLF by T. ‘Von Ziekursch 
THE HEN HERDER by J. Allan Dunn 
THE ONE BIG THING by James B. Hendryx 
- SCAVENGERS OF THE SEA by George Ethelbert Walsh 
MUSKET HOUSE by Theodore Goodridge Roberts 
MORMON VALLEY by H. Bedford-Jones 
THE LAW OF THE RANGE by WF. C. Tuttle 
WITH ROPE AND BRAND by William MacLeod Raine 
~ MARQUARD THE SILENT by James B. Hendryx 
THUNDERHORSE by Edison Marshall 
THE BANDIT OF DEVIL’S OWN by L. De Bra 
 *DOoc!” by Harold Titus 
THE OUTLAW OF RATTLESNAKE GAP by H. Bedford-Jones 
 'TRAMPS OF THE RANGE by VF. C. Tuttle “1 
POWDER LAW by VW. C. Tuttle 
Seid DEVIL MARKED by Edwin L. Sabin 








12 Famous Authors 


A Rare Combination of World-Famous Authors, 
Each Represented by a Notable Work} 


THE DUEL by Joseph Conrad. An acknowledged master of Eng- 
lish prose tells a dramatic story of France. 


NORTH OF 53 (from Pardners) by Rex Beach. In the land of 
the midnight sun men fight for a living. 


WINGS by Gene Stratton-Porter. With Nature as a background 
Mrs. Porter brings the wildfolk close to our hearts, 


MA PETTENGILL TALKS by Harry Leon Wilson. Do you re- 
member Ruggles of Red Gap? Ma Pettengill was one of his 
friends. 


UNEDUCATING MARY by Kathleen Norris. From a life of 
luxury to the hard facts of life goes a conquering girl. 


THE BEAUTIFUL LADY by Booth Tarkington. A romance 
under the glamorous Italian moon, . 


THE DARK FLEECE by Joseph Hergesheimer. A forty-niner 
comes East with his golden fleece which soon fails to glisten. 


AN AMATEUR by W. B. Maxwell. She thought of suicide— 
the race that night was against death itself. 


CAPT. WARDLAW’S KITBAGS by Harold MacGrath. How 
old was Cupid? Many have guessed, but few have discovered. 


THE GORGEOUS ISLE by Gertrude Atherton. A brilliant novel- 
ist writes of love and regeneration under tropical skies. 


THE TOUCHSTONE by Edith Wharton. And this is how it 
happened—but no! Read it for yourself. Mrs. Wharton is 
a literary artist. 


THE SPANISH JADE by Maurice Hewlett. A fascinating story 
of the pursuit through Spain of a seductive beauty. 








: 





Garden City Publishing Co., Jue. 
Garden City - - New York 















eae 


THRILLING, BLOOD - CHILLING 









_ Follow the crooked trails of criminals—with cour- 
weous men face danger and death against an invisible 
 foe—unravel strange, terrible mysteries. Many ex- 
$ iting, throbbing hours are ahead of you. 


IN A NIGHT’S WORK. 
oh ee - ‘By Ethel W atts Mumford and George Bronson Howard 








Three Boys’ Books 


CAVES OF TERROR 
By Talbot Mundy 


A story of two secret service detectives in India. They 
get mixed up with some natives who take them through 
caves and grottos which hold all the mysteries and secrets 
and horrors of the strange East. A hair-raising story. 


THE OXBOW WIZARD 
By Theodore Goodridge Roberts 


A thrilling story about a boy trapper and amateur de- 
tective who goes into the Oxbow forest. With splendid 
daring the boy runs down the villains, but only after a 
series of adventures which make stirring reading for 
fathers and mothers as well as sons, 


THE WHALER 
By Ben Ames Williams 


A New England lad stumbled into New Bedford only to | 
have a man with a gash in his neck fall dead at his feet. 
Shanghied aboard a whaler the lad goes through a tough 
cruise with a variety of stirring adventures and comes 
home a new man. 








Garden City Publishing Co., Inc. 
Garden City _ .. New York 












THE BOOK OF ETIQUETTE 
Pocket Edition 


By Lillian Eichler Le 


‘This Riches edition of the famous book which has sold 
ver a million copies retains all the important portions of 
he original. This is the ideal manual for correct behavior. 


_ BUSINESS HANDBOOK 
AND LETTER WRITER 
_ By Charles T. Whitefield 


The indispensable guide to clear, forceful English for the 
busy man or woman. Prepared by an experienced execu- 
a tive, this is the ‘ideal manual for ready reference for those 
oe who wish to acquire a sound and convincing mastery of 
English. There are many sample letters, etc. Included is 
pace useful material which must always be ready to hand. 


- ECONOMY COOKING 
By Lillian White Gerard 


No matter how well you know how to cook, this book will 
‘reel invaluable to you. There are 278) tested and approved 


j 







Date York 








| 





niin 





The Movie Boys Series 


By VICTOR APPLETON 








THE MOVIE BOYS ON CALL, 
or Filming the Perils of A Great City. 
THE MOVIE BOYS IN THE WILD WEST, 
or Stirring Days Among the Cowboys and Indians. 


THE MOVIE BOYS AND THE WRECKERS, 
or Facing the Perils of the Deep. 
THE MOVIE BOYS IN THE JUNGLE. 
or Lively Times Among the Wild Beasts. 
THE MOVIE BOYS IN EARTHQUAKE LAND, 
or Filming Pictures and Strange Perils. 
THE MOVIE BOYS AND THE FLOOD, 
or Perilous Days on the Mighty Mississippi. 
THE MOVIE BOYS IN PERIL, 


or Strenuous Days Along the Panama Canal. 


THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER THE SEA, 
or The Treasure of the Lost Ship. 

THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER FIRE, 
or The Search for the Stolen Film. 

THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER UNCLE SAM, 
or Taking Pictures for the Army. 

THE MOVIE BOYS’ FIRST SHOWHOUSE, 
or Fighting for a Feothold in Fairlands. 

THE MOVIE BOYS AT SEASIDE PARK, 
or I'he Rival Photo Houses of the Boardwalk. 


THE MOVIE BOYS ON BROADWAY, 
or The Mystery of the Missing Cash Box. 


THE MOVIE BOYS’ OUTDOOR EXHIBITION, 
or the Film that Solved the Mystery. 
THE MOVIE BOYS’ NEW IDEA, 
or Getting the Best of Their Enemies. 
THE MOVIE BOYS AT THE BIG FAIR, 
or The Greatest Film Ever Exhibited. 
THE MOVIE BOYS’ WAR SPECTACLE, 
or The Film that Won the Prize. 


Garden City Publishing Co., Inc. 
Garden City - - - New York 











“~F 


